log redirects

[omoutop]

i was wondering if there is a way to log 301 redirects issued from htaccess, just by using php, no apache modifications (no htaccess rules, no http.conf modifications, no apache logs)
just plain php code.

[phranque]

no.

[lucy24]

On the other hand: If you take all the pages you're currently redirecting, and instead rewrite them to a php page which does the lookup and issues the 301, it should be fairly trivial to log that activity. Where "fairly trivial" = I have no idea how to do it,* but I'm confident that someone hereabouts does.


* I can follow directions at php dot net, but only if I know where to look in the first place.

[Readie]

Pretty simple if you use a PHP script as Lucy suggests.

Either append to your 301 log file like:

file_put_contents('/var/log/httpd/301.log', "\nA message containing pertinent details", FILE_APPEND);

Or insert into your database table.

Then simply issue the correct header:

header('Location: http://www.example.com', true, 301);

[phranque]

no apache modifications

rewrite them to a php page

these are mutually exclusive

[lucy24]

Picky, picky :P But the 301s have to come from somewhere. So if you replace the existing redirects with a rewrite to a different page, it barely counts as a "modification".

That's assuming the redirects originate in htaccess. (OP specifically said they do.) If they are all in-page redirects, it's a whole nother ballgame.

omoutop, do you have access to the config file? If yes, why are you also using htaccess?

[omoutop]

6 months ago we change out site - new design and new urls
so we had around 25000 301 redirects
now we change some urls again and old redirects must be replaced with new ones

we need a way to monitor which 301 rules are still active (user bookmarks, bots, anything) and which ones are no longer apply so as to clear out this 301 list

the php file seems good solution - i can move all 301 rules to a table in database and monitor from there.

i will give it a try

[lucy24]

The day after you remove a no-longer-needed redirect, some major search engine will swing by and request three hundred of your old URLs.

Fact.

[omoutop]

:)

[penders]

I know you mentioned "no apache logs", but I'm curious... are your access logs not available?

[omoutop]

no penders
i have no access to any logs, to no conf files
only access i got is limited ftp

[lucy24]

No logs AT ALL? Sounds like it's time to go host-shopping.