Hi, I am a Joomla beginner and have a htaccess question(Joomla is installed by the hosting co via their application vault on their server). I recently updated my site and resubmitted my sitemap to webmaster tools. My problem is that I would like to redirect the links that Google displays from the old layout to the new links.For example Google displays this link on a search :http://www.glassblockshop.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=3 and this gives a 404 error.The link I want it to display/return is: http://www.glassblockshop.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=4&Itemid=19. I am very much a beginner at this so I was wondering if I should edit the htaccess.txt file in the root folder and if so what should it display.I have no idea where to start with this file! and I am reluctant to make any more changes to the site until I sort this so any help advice would be greatly appreciated.Also,will Google eventually drop these links?. This is the contents of the htaccess.txt: Thanks in advance. ## # @version $Id: htaccess.txt 13415 2009-11-03 15:53:25Z ian $ # @package Joomla # @copyright Copyright (C) 2005 - 2008 Open Source Matters. All rights reserved. # @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU/GPL # Joomla! is Free Software # ##################################################### # READ THIS COMPLETELY IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THIS FILE # # The line just below this section: 'Options +FollowSymLinks' may cause problems # with some server configurations. It is required for use of mod_rewrite, but may already # be set by your server administrator in a way that dissallows changing it in # your .htaccess file. If using it causes your server to error out, comment it out (add # to # beginning of line), reload your site in your browser and test your sef url's. If they work, # it has been set by your server administrator and you do not need it set here. # ##################################################### ## Can be commented out if causes errors, see notes above. Options +FollowSymLinks # # mod_rewrite in use RewriteEngine On ########## Begin - Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits ## If you experience problems on your site block out the operations listed below ## This attempts to block the most common type of exploit `attempts` to Joomla! # ## Deny access to extension xml files (uncomment out to activate) #<Files ~ "\.xml$"> #Order allow,deny #Deny from all #Satisfy all #</Files> ## End of deny access to extension xml files RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} mosConfig_[a-zA-Z_]{1,21}(=|\%3D) [OR] # Block out any script trying to base64_encode crap to send via URL RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} base64_encode.*\(.*\) [OR] # Block out any script that includes a <script> tag in URL RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\<|%3C).*script.*(\>|%3E) [NC,OR] # Block out any script trying to set a PHP GLOBALS variable via URL RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} GLOBALS(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2}) [OR] # Block out any script trying to modify a _REQUEST variable via URL RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} _REQUEST(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2}) # Send all blocked request to homepage with 403 Forbidden error! RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php [F,L] # ########## End - Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits # Uncomment following line if your webserver's URL # is not directly related to physical file paths. # Update Your Joomla! Directory (just / for root) # RewriteBase / ########## Begin - Joomla! core SEF Section # RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (/|\.php|\.html|\.htm|\.feed|\.pdf|\.raw|/[^.]*)$ [NC] RewriteRule (.*) index.php RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization},L] # ########## End - Joomla! core SEF Section
My suggestion try to rename .htaccess.txt to .htaccess in your public_html root directory and see what will happen. If the link structure will remain the same and you do you shared web hosting provider then contact them to property setup those friendly url links.