nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Links in Email break after testing and sending

Margaret Minuth

I had tested two eblasts before sending them, and both of them went out with broken links. One platform was RE NXT and the other was CORE. I sent a test to my work and my personal email so I could check on my desktop and through personal mobile just to be sure. They went out successfully, but people emailed me back that the link to our donation page was a 404 error. I tried the link in the email they sent, and it was a 404. I copied the email, sent a test again to myself, and it worked.

I tried with both the HTTP:// format and with the address the tool suggested I use.

Can anyone shed light on this wicked glitch?

Find more posts tagged with

Reporting

Comments

Alex Wong

@Margaret Minuth
do you have the difference in the link?

the one that gives you 404, what is the link like, and how does it compare to the ones that does work?

Margaret Minuth

@Alex Wong
The link is very simple: HTTP://onegrace.net/give

Sometimes the program just gives me the dropdown onegrace.net/give without the HTTP: and it works just fine.

Geoffrey Goodfellow

@Margaret Minuth, I have an open support case about this same issue. We had a big admissions event registration form link that would generate an error for users even though the link was originally viable and also worked in the test email.

Geoffrey Goodfellow

I would also add that it is not consistent, We have sent out many other links before and after that didn't have any problem. Every once in awhile, there is something about the way the email goes out that makes the link not work. This last time, it was all iPhone and iPad users where the link wouldn't work.

Alex Wong

@Margaret Minuth
Keep in mind that HTTP is not secure, as with all donation platform, they must be secure, so generally what happens is the donation platform you use will auto redirect HTTP to HTTPS. Given any good email platform is going to have links that is trackable, it replaces the link with a trackable link then redirect to the link used in the email, this could prove to be problematic on some user device/browser selection.

Say for example, your link is http://onegrace.net/give

when you click the link in email:

that's 4 redirects before user actually hit the page. Some device/browser is going to error out and have a “too many redirect” error.

So it is best that you use link that will create the least redirects: https://onegrace.net/give/

this way, there will only be ONE redirect from trackable link to the actual link.

Another pitfall is the “NON" use of HTTPS (or HTTP, but avoid still). Without the “protocol” (HTTPS), the link is consider a “relative” link, and will unexpectedly make the link unusable.

Before you send out your email, test send to yourselves, and use DEV TOOL on browser to check the link and see what is the exact link used and trace through the Network tab to see what are all the redirect is linking to.

Margaret Minuth

@Alex Wong
I do send out tests to myself as part of my proofing gauntlet. I've been told by the powers that be that our HTTP ARE secure without the S. It was a discussion I wasn't going to win :-) I actually have quite a bit of experience with websites but just not here.

Alex Wong

@Margaret Minuth
I don't know who is the “powers that be” is, but no one can say HTTP is secure as the S in HTTPS literally means Secure

Your website is configure to auto redirect HTTP to HTTPS, so that person may tell you it is secure b/c of the redirect, however, if redirect is the cause of your issue, then avoiding the extra redirect of HTTP to HTTPS may just be the breaking/working point.

Margaret Minuth

@Alex Wong
Our OneGRACE.net website IS HTTPS. I manually verified through the Wordpress dashboard. I don't manage our main site, but I manage the microsite (although someone else built it). Yes, I am very aware what the S stands for ;-)

Alex Wong

@Margaret Minuth
Not suggesting that “onegrace.net” is not secure. I am merely trying to answer your original post's issue being potentially related to too many redirects.

when your email uses a URL link that begins with HTTP, the user (your audience) device will access the URL with HTTP, which will be prompted by your website server that HTTPS is needed, and redirects to the same URL but with HTTPS. If you use URL link in the email is HTTPS to begin with, that's one less redirect the user device has to do, one less chance for the user device to say “too many redirect” error.

5664b358e1d5ecb881e8e0cf666a87f6-huge-im

what email tool are you using. I find it hard to imagine that the tool does not allow you to directly specify the exact URL to use.

Margaret Minuth

@Alex Wong
I will try manually adding the URL with https instead. Here's the current setting:

ae1981097280d8be885a240e60bc8dc5-huge-im