Forum Moderators: Robert Charlton & goodroi
I know that it probably isn't good to have orphan files on your server but how bad are they really? Would it be worth it to spend a day trying to find them all?
And what about orphan directories, I have had a couple of directories on my server for years that I use just to store a few things, they have not been indexed and I wouldn't care if they were but does googlebot care?
My host blocks Xenu. Anybody know of another good link/orphan file checker that is easy to use?
Thanks:)
The web is knee deep in clutter, and you do everyone a favour by removing it.
If you cannot do that, then be sure to have a comprehensive 404 page (if your host will allow it).
The only risks I see in your post are the directories. Neglected directories could well have gained 'link farm' status, as their content deteriorates over time. This could be fatal to any sites linked with them.
I'd remove them.
I'd also seriously consider getting a better host, unless the current one has an alternative to offer.
xenu doesn't find orphan files, it checks links to see if they are dead
genuine orphan files will not cause trouble, but they are clutter.
Once you start talking about multiple files and directories, you very often find that they are not orphaned at all - it only takes one link, if they interlink!
And there can be harm if there are links from outside of your site.
Remove the trash; remove the risk; remove the worry.
[edited by: Quadrille at 10:39 am (utc) on Aug. 1, 2006]
erm i think we mean something different by orphan files!
if pages are interlinked then they are not orphan pages by my definition, it may well be that accepted practice defines orphans in another way!
.. to me an orphan means it has no parent files, eg no incoming links
What I'm saying is that pages thought to be orphaned, very often are not; they just don't have links from the central navigation system.
That is precisely why I said "you very often find that they are not orphaned at all". And that is why xenu is such a wonderful tool: it sorts all that out for you.
I am very careful in doing all the right things when planning to take a page down. I meticulously makes sure that I toss images (in my root files on my computer) which are associated with the page. Remove links from all internal pages, etc.
Then I go online and upload all the pages which I have just removed the links, go and remove the images from the server ... and at least twice a year and in the midst of doing this, I then get interrupted and completely forget to remove the page itself as that is always the last thing I do! Sigh. I am such a dummy about this!
Anyway, I can't swear that Google is still meting out penalties for orphaned pages ... but I would say there is a very good chance. They look at them as though they are doorways because even though you may not be linking from your site to that page ... in all likelihood, the orphaned page is linking to you!
Not a good at all to leave orphaned pages on your server. Play it safe and get rid of them! ;)
[edited by: Liane at 1:49 pm (utc) on Aug. 1, 2006]
