How can I protect my Graphics from HotLinking?

[naitsirhc26]

I would really like to know how to protect my graphics from hotlinking. Please help me out. Someone said something about a Cpanel, but I don't know what that is. Thanks for the help.

[naitsirhc26]

If somebody somehow hotlinks, I would also like to be able to have one of my ads displayed.

[naitsirhc26]

I also want to know how to tell if I am being stolen from? How do you tell if someone is hotlinking?

[Terabytes]

The "cpanel" they are referring to would be the "control panel" that is used on Linux based web servers for account management...

If you are on IIS then this particular program does not apply...

Inside the cpanel program are a multitude of options concerning your website...things like a file manager, mail manager, statistics, and other options...

On a Cpanel you will find an option that will allow you to stop people from hotlinking to your images, this option actually modifies your htaccess file for you to disallow requests for files that do not come from your site...

If you account comes with access to the cpanel program you may be able to access it from www.example.com/cpanel

The access info will probably be the username and password you create (or were assigned...) when you created the hosting account...

hope that helps!
Tera

[naitsirhc26]

For the time being, I can't get a hold of my host. How can I create my own access page?

[Terabytes]

since you posted while I was writing...lol

all you need to do is look at your statistics and see if there are references from other sites that are only asking for a file (not the web page...)

you can look in Cpanel in your statistics and click on the referrers also...this will take you to that particular page the reference came from...go there...see if that's your hot linking site...

now that I'm reading tho...your asking how do you know?...how did you arrive at this question if you don't know?

[Terabytes]

you have to have access to your statistics... to know for sure...

[naitsirhc26]

I know now how to tell if someone is hotlinking, but how do I get access to the htaccess file. How do you make one? And how do add the code for no hotlinking? I can't get to my control panel right now. Thanks a ton!

[Terabytes]

google "htaccess"...

google "htaccess AND hotlinking"

the info is there...all of it....
lots of resources....

[DewChugr]

If you know what site is hot linking your images try this. Rename yourimages on disk and the in the html files, then upload new files with the old names. You can use porn images, an add with your url, something saying his site sucks, etc. I'm pretty sure the linking will stop.

I had a basketball fan site a number of years ago with exclusive Bulls photos and had this problem. I did something like this and the problem went away.

[jomaxx]

Rename yourimages on disk and the in the html files, then upload new files with the old names. You can use porn images...

LOL, be careful doing this. What happens when AOL serves up cached versions of your page for a few days? What if someone views your page via the Google/Yahoo/Wayback cache? What if someone comes in via an image search?

Better to not play games and just use the .htaccess file.

[naitsirhc26]

I figured it all out. I made an .htaccess file, and I tested it. It works like a charm, thanks!