Problems with Referrer script & cookies

[kathynewman]

I use a long referrer url when producing google/overture ads.

Overture have just been in touch to say that the url I have which contains the script does not show the whole page - the images do not appear on the page. It always worked when I looked at it -

The url in question is:
http://www.puddlepetcare.co.uk/cgi-bin/rs000002.pl?SOURCE=overture_catscratchers&DESTINATION=cat_activity_centres_scratchers.html&PATH=../acatalog/&BASEURL=http://www.puddlepetcare.co.uk/acatalog/

but as soon as I deleted cookies off my machine I got the following url:

http://www.puddlepetcare.co.uk/cgi-bin/ca000000?ACTION=COOKIEERROR

and it threw me back to our index page and did not show the images.

Is there a way round this?

Thanks

[cdicken]

Hmm... perhaps some other people here could try the above link as I just clicked on it and it worked beautifully.

I then removed all my cookies and tried it again, and it was still fine.

Anyone else?

[kathynewman]

This has now become URGENT! We have an advert on an email list which has gone out today - and when I click through the links I get the
http://www.puddlepetcare.co.uk/cgi-...ION=COOKIEERROR

and it throws me back to our index page and did not show the images.

If potential customers are seeing this then it's a disaster!

We've tried 2 machines on which we've deleted cookies and subsequently get the problem. We've found that the problem is resolved on our machines if we add something to the shopping basket and then use the link - implying that the cookie is "reinstalled" at this stage. If we then delete cookies and click the link again it doesn't work.

What we don't know is if someone who has never visited our site before clicks on one of these links - what are they going to see.

Any assistance would be very welcome.

Thanks

Kathy

[HowardW]

Hi Chris
Getting exactly the same problem when I click on Kathy's link
ie: http://www.puddlepetcare.co.uk/cgi-bin/ca000000?ACTION=COOKIEERROR
If I type in her home page no problem and all the images come up
Regards
Howard

[garyhay]

place a copy of your images in the cgi-bin as this is where they are referenced

[kathynewman]

Gary

Thanks for that - but it doesn't actually solve our main problem as to why the url doesn't work - what you are solving for us is a problem with our Error 404 page - which is not the page the link should be taking us to - but we'll add the images to the CGI bin so that if people try the link that doesn't work at least they'll get something decent to view!

Kathy

[cdicken]

Hmm... there could be a problem with the format of the referrer script call.

Would you be able to attach the text of the hyperlink to this forum in a text file?

[kathynewman]

Thanks Chris

Attached is a text file with the hyperlink in it.

Kathy

[cdicken]

I have re-attached it with all the non-alpha-numeric characters in the attributes encoded as follows:

/ becomes %2f
. becomes %2e
_ becomes %5f
: becomes %3a

However, I've tried it out, but did not have any more success.

I noticed that the script ID number of your site is '2' but the COOKIEERROR has got an ID number of '0'. Very odd!

Could you copy a new 'Referrer.pl' script from your 'Original' folder into your 'Site1' folder and then do a 'Web | Refresh Website'.

[kathynewman]

Chris

Should we be using rs000002.pl or referrer.pl?

Just after we revamped our website we were having problems with referrer scripts and we were told to use rs000002.pl instead of referrer.pl

Kathy

[cdicken]

That is entirely correct.

'Referrer.pl' is the template that produces 'rs000002.pl'. It is 'rs000002.pl' that you have to link to.

If there is a problem with your Referrer.pl file then this will affect the operation of rs000002.pl - hence me telling you to bring in the 'Original' file.