External Link redirection causes problem

[+mlafortu]

External link on geocache page triggers a window which warns that it is an external link.

This redirection does not take into account the external link prefix. For example, the external link to http://www.website.com/something.html

is changed to www.website.com/something.html without the http prefix.

However, most browsers add https when there is no prefix specified.

Since my website is not a secured https, it's causing an error.

 

All my mysteries (hundreds!) which are games that I programmed no longer work!

 

Could geocaching add the prefix in the redirection window?

 

Help please!

[+janrei_]

I do not see this behavior. For me, links are opened exactly as specified. Probably, the browser or a browser extension is automatically upgrading the request to HTTPS.

 

My recommendation would be to change your games so that they work with HTTPS. If this is not possible at the moment, you could try to block such connections on your server. Some browsers still have a fallback to HTTP in case HTTPS fails.

[+MartyBartfast]

I just tried both the links on this cache of yours and they both open correctly:

https://coord.info/GCAH6QD

[+arisoft]

I could not reproduce this behavior with Firefox and Edge. https://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC3QFPT worked correctly.

 

I have seen this kind of behavior when the site I was working on had momentarily HTTPS put on for testing and then reverted to HTTP. Browsers remember that the site was earlier HTTPS and automatically change it to HTTPS despite the protocol stated in the URL.

 

Unfortunately, the javascript code used to forward the link was too complicated to verify at a glance whether it does something to the URL. I suggest the OP explain thoughtfully how to trigger this behavior.

[+capoaira]

You can activate the https only mode in your browser, then I think the behaviour is like the TO describe. 

If you don't have that mode activated, your browser will check both, https and https

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, MartyBartfast said:

I just tried both the links on this cache of yours and they both open correctly:

https://coord.info/GCAH6QD

The Bubble Shooter game doesn't work for me. It lets me shoot the first bubble, then nothing...

[+janrei_]

24 minutes ago, niraD said:

The Bubble Shooter game doesn't work for me. It lets me shoot the first bubble, then nothing...

 

You have probably been redirected to HTTPS. After each shot, the game tries to load resources via HTTP. Browsers usually do not allow this if the page was loaded via HTTPS.

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by janrei_

[+niraD]

21 minutes ago, janrei_ said:

You have probably been redirected to HTTPS. After each shot, the game tries to load resources via HTTP. Browsers usually do not allow this if the page was loaded via HTTPS.

That worked. But now it often takes a while before it allows me to take the next shot. I assume that it's taking a while to retrieve information from the server.

[+MartyBartfast]

23 minutes ago, niraD said:

But now it often takes a while before it allows me to take the next shot.

yes I found that too, maybe his server's being overloaded by all of us going for a game at the same time

[+mlafortu]

There is no problem opening any of my games with HTTPS. But later on in the games some calls are made to PHP programs that fail due to HTTPS error.

I wish there could be a solution other than asking people to change settings in their browsers.

I also wrote to my server provider about the problem, but they cannot figure why I have this behavior.

I wrote a little html that is first launch before a game, displaying a button that starts http://www.mlafortu.com/....... and its working.

But I would prefer a direct link to my games.

Thanks to all for your anwers.

[+arisoft]

1 hour ago, mlafortu said:

But I would prefer a direct link to my games.

 

Have you tried any url shortener as a middle man? It can not be affected by geocaching site and you can have a direct link.

 

I have some games also and after all these security changes they works more or less depenging browser. Some problems I have managed to fix by using HTTPS on my server.

 

Here is one that works with Edge but not with Firefox.  https://coord.info/GC60P4D

[+janrei_]

3 hours ago, mlafortu said:

There is no problem opening any of my games with HTTPS. But later on in the games some calls are made to PHP programs that fail due to HTTPS error.

 

The correct way to fix this would be to
1. redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS in the configuration of your server
2. replace all references to http:// with https:// in the source code of your games

 

1 hour ago, arisoft said:

Here is one that works with Edge but not with Firefox.  https://coord.info/GC60P4D

 

Firefox blocks the third-party cookie that you use to pass on the game status. If you want to make an interactive game, you should run it entirely on your server. Do not embed it into the cache listing on geocaching.com.

[+mlafortu]

2 hours ago, arisoft said:

 

Have you tried any url shortener as a middle man? It can not be affected by geocaching site and you can have a direct link.

 

I have some games also and after all these security changes they works more or less depenging browser. Some problems I have managed to fix by using HTTPS on my server.

 

Here is one that works with Edge but not with Firefox.  https://coord.info/GC60P4D

Great idea!

Instead of using a third-party on the Web that offers url-shortener, I took a look on my provider-server utilities pages. And there is a Redirections list that I can create.

Now, each time someone is trying to connect to https://www.mywebsite.com/pathsomething/start.html, the link is redirected to http://www.mywebsite.com/pathsomething/mygame.html.

I only have to create a dummy start.html in the same directory of each of my games, and use these start.html on my geocaches pages.

It's working so far...

Thanks a lot!

[+arisoft]

1 hour ago, janrei_ said:

Firefox blocks the third-party cookie that you use to pass on the game status. If you want to make an interactive game, you should run it entirely on your server. Do not embed it into the cache listing on geocaching.com.

 

I know but this has been published before https: came in geocaching.com and it works with most users after adjusting some cookie attributes. Firefox will also work with some security adjustment.