The auto-redirect feature lets you create a page which automatically loads another page in its place. There are a few scenarios where you would find this useful.
Example 1 – To create a ‘short-cut’ URL to a page at a lower level within your site
For example, if I wanted to give easy access to a particular ‘help’ tip wihin the Webguide site (say to http://www.imperial.ac.uk/webguide/help/cmshelp/usingthecms/settingpermissions/managinguserpermissiongroups/groupnamingconvention) by a short URL like http://www.imperial.ac.uk/webguide/groupnames, I could create an auto-redirect page called ‘groupnames’ at the top-level of the site which would redirect to the full page URL. I could hide the page in the navigation so that it would not actually be displayed, but I can publicise the short-cut URL in emails or on posters etc.
Example 2 – To ensure that saved links to the original pages will not break after restructuring your site.
If you re-structure your site and move pages around, any links to pages in the old structure will break. If you know that there are external sites or publications which use the original URLs, or you suspect that users will have set links to the pages as favourites, you can create auto-redirect pages to the information in the new structure. Again, the auto-redirect pages themselves wlll be hidden in the site navigation. But if users try to use an old link, they will arrive at the correct destination.
Instructions for adding the Auto-redirect described in Example 1:
1. Go to the correct parent page (the site homepage http://www.imperial.ac.uk/webguide in this case)
2. Login and go into the Edit view (click on the ‘Edit‘ link in the footer).
3. Follow the instructions on redirecting a page to create the Auto-redirect page, insert the destination URL and edit the Page Properies to give the required Display Name.
4. Use the Navigation Settings to show/hide/reorder the page you have just created.
Note that you must have FULL manager rights to the site in order to configure its navigation. If you only have permission to edit a section of the site, ask the site owner to change these settings for you.
