Alexa Thumbnail Problems

[cagintranet]

Alexa is an "other search engine" so i hope this category works... i had no idea where else this may go.

I just was checking my site (the directory in my sig) for some bad links, and i noted that some of my alexa thumbnails have been lost (all showing that default coming soon icon).

So i was like.. huh, well, i'll just update them with my trusty "update thumbnail" icon beside each link. But wait then i get this error:
Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /update_thumbnail on this server.

I hope this is a temporary problem with Alexa. Its been going on for about 5 hours as far as i can tell...

Are any other Alexa thumbnail users seeing the same thing?

[NetMidWest]

Don't they pull the thumbshots from Thumbshots.org?
http://www.thumbshots.org/updatethumbshot.pxf
But you can only update if you are in DMOZ.
I think the only way that you get one in Alexa is if you are in the DMOZ.
Is your link there?

[cagintranet]

Nope, the two are completely independant of each other:
http://pages.alexa.com/exec/faqsidos/help/index.html?index=126

[NetMidWest]

What is the url?

[fryman]

i'll just update them with my trusty "update thumbnail" icon beside each link

Icon? Which icon? I've never noticed it, when I have problems with the thumbnail I click on Correct errors and omissions in this listing. and then on Update Thumbnail Image of

Have you tried that?

[cagintranet]

Example Page:
http://pghsource.cagintranet.com/directory/9.php

Fryman:
Alexa used to allow you a way of updating the images via just a direct link.
If you look beside each thumbnail, you will see my small icon with a green arrow that always used to allow me to just update the image directly instead of going to their pages to do this.

Also, yes i did try going to Alexa, and the update_image page allows me to update it fine there. Therefore it seems that they just disabled the direct link to the page from outside domains.

On the alexa link i posted above, I believe they say that "we reserve the right to change the terms at any time" --- maybe they just did?

[NetMidWest]

I see an image here:
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/?url=www.cagintranet.com/
if that is the main tld url you are trying to get updates for.
But not here:
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/?url=pghsource.cagintranet.com/directory/
I don't know about subdomains in the directory, but it is the same description.

At any rate, you can refresh your thumbnails here:
http //thumbnails.alexa.com/update_thumbnail
But you must click through from here:
http://pages.alexa.com/exec/faqsidos/help/index.html?index=24

Edit: I was double-checking this while you posted... now I understand.
BTW, why are you not using the pittsburghsource-dot-net domain?

[cagintranet]

NetMidWest,
I cant use the Pittsburghsource domain because when i originally created the site, i didnt want to pay for two hosting plans (go daddy doesnt allow you to have multiple domains on one hosting plan)

So i set up a sub-domain as you can see. The project grew quite fast - and now i have great ranking in the SEs with the pghsource.cagintranet domain, so i cant change it now. I wish i would have just spent the damn $40 on hosting back in July... stupid move.

[routed11]

Ive noticed the same issue.

Alexa thumbnails not working since about the same time as the original poster, I have been trying to wait it out but no dice

[cagintranet]

I emailed Alexa, and here was their response (received yesterday):
Hi Chris,

Thank you for contacting Alexa Internet regarding your site's thumbnail image.

At present, the http://thumbnails.alexa.com/update_thumbnail page is not available. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused you.

If you would like to request that we send our crawler to refresh or capture an image for your site, you can click on the "Update Thumbnail Image of (your site)" link on the Site Information Editor page for your site. You can reach that page by clicking on the "Correct errors and omissions in this listing" link at the bottom of traffic details pages for your site.

We appreciate your interest in Alexa.

Best regards,
Alexa Internet Customer Service


I replied back asking if they had any intention of fixing it... waiting for their response

[FireStorM]

It will take some time , just be patient.

[cagintranet]

It will take some time , just be patient.

What will take some time? I have been patient - its been 21 days since I started this thread.

[routed11]

I think patience for this issue has expired. It is approching 30 days down. I cant see any big player on the web being broke for a month IMO

[Cristian Mezei]

I found out how to get the alexa thumbnails work.

I'm just gonna share a 1 mil USD tip to you guys :rolleyes:

Use this URL (It's supposed to by for Alexa partners only, but as you will see, it works for any URL):

http :// pthumbnails.alexa.com/image_server.cgi?id=your-website-address&size=large&url=url-of-the-address-to-be-checked

I used the two spaces there, so that the url won't be shortened.

I'm expecting lots of beers.

[cagintranet]

Cool! - Thanks... i'll give it a shot later on.

Question though, the "your-website-address" - does it have to the be URL registered with AWS to work correctly, or does it not matter which address we use in there?

[Cristian Mezei]

Use the url for the site in which you use the script :)

[cagintranet]

I just tried it - but it doesnt "Update" the thumnail it just "Shows" you the thumbnail

After seeing this, i checked my website and this is the exact code i use to show the thumbnails on all my pages.