Admin Help - Rapid Classified v3.3

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Expand All \| Collapse All 1.0 Initial Configurations 1.1 Admin Preferences 1.2 Miscellaneous Configurations 1.3 Recovering Admin Logon 2.0 Categories Administration 2.1 Price Level 2.2 Optional Fields 2.3 Options Builder & Adv. Search 2.4 Alternative Adv. Search Page 3.0 Design and Appearance 3.1 XL Templates 3.2 Advanced Design 3.3 Logo 3.4 Main Page 3.5 CSS Editor 4.0 Translation/Text Modification 4.1 RC Lookup 5.0 Content Management 5.1 Email Templates 5.2 Page Content Templates 5.3 News Letter Templates 5.4 "True" Content Pages 5.5 Header/Footer Inclusive Pages 5.6 Side Bars Advert. Pages 5.7 Custom Inclusive Pages 5.8 Backup/Restore Templates 5.9 Top Content Pages 5.10 Side/Portal Bars, Main Page 5.11 Ticker at Remote Site 5.12 FAQ 6.0 Classified Operations 6.1 User Accounts 6.2 Multiple Accounts Detection 6.3 Posting Ads (Free Mode) 6.4 Miscellaneous Operations 6.5 Forum 6.6 Counter and Statistics 7.0 Payment System 7.1 Overview 7.2 Configuration (Credits Mode) 7.3 Configuration (Package Mode) 7.4 Merchant Configuration 7.5 Posting Ads in Pay Mode 7.6 Hot List Promotion 8.0 SE Optimization 8.1 Content exclusion list 8.2 Dynamic Meta Tags Builder 8.3 Caching Ads 8.4 Google Site Maps 8.5 URLs Rewrite 9.0 RSS Management 9.1 RSS Feeds Writer 9.2 RSS Feeds Reader 9.3 RSS Feeds Reference 10.0 Banners Rotator 10.1 Administration. Banners types 10.2 Automated Submissions 11.0 Relative Content Links 11.1 Relative Ad Description 12.0 Conversion Tools 12.1 SQL to Access (backup) 12.2 Access to SQL (restore) 12.3 Moving from Access to SQL 12.4 Moving between MySQL/MSSQL 12.5 Switching Hosting Service (SQL) 13.0 Maintaining Healthy Database	Chapter - 8.3 Caching Ads Next step in SE optimization is to decide whether to cache ads. Normally ads display dynamically through viewad.asp and view_print.asp pages. However while indexing, the search spider might not find all ads due to the fact that links to ads build dynamically from dynamically generated pages such as viewlist.asp and viewsublist.asp. Spider might not properly jump from one page to another if you have list pages spanned for the same subcategory (dynamic paging - more than one page to list ads). Some spiders will not go deep into levels and some will be confused at all. The most reliable way to have all your ads crawled, is to create a static cache pages for ads in .htm format and place them into separate folder. Four conditions must be met for a successful caching: · You need to enable caching: go to "Admin Preferences", check "Enable Ads Caching" check box and save changes. · You Web Server Must Support MSXML2 component (most do). · You have properly configured your "Site URL" in "Admin Preferences". Properly means, it is pointed to your classified location and ended with "/". Here are few examples: - mysite.com --->wrong - www.mysite.com --->wrong - http://www.mysite.com --->wrong - http://www.mysite.com/ --->right (RC is located at the root of the site) - http://www.mysite.com/classified/ --->right (RC is located in "classified" folder from the root of the site) 8.3.1 Ads Cache Management Open Admin Preferences page, check "Enable Ads Caching" (if ads caching is not already enabled) and save settings. Navigate to cache management page from a "Manage" link right next to "Enable Ads Caching" check box. Check "Test Ad Caching" box, and then click "Start Caching". First available ad would be cached and presented in an iframe for viewing the resulted format. If you satisfied with the format, then go back with "Back to Caching" link and click "Start Caching" again without "Test Ad Caching" box checked. Depending on a number of ads in your database, it might take some time to cache all ads. On average, it takes 1 second per 100 ads to cache. If you need to change the format, then follow recommendations in chapter II above and then re-create the cache. Once caching finished, you would be prompted with the message about number of cached ads and the time of execution. Click "Back to Caching" and then "Cached Ads List". It would take you to adslist.asp page. Note: There is also a link to adslist.asp page within footer menu named Ads Ads list page only lists main categories (much like browse.asp page). Each category link pointed to the category specific list page, which in turn created, when the adslist.asp page loaded for the first time. Click on any category and you would be taken to category specific ads list page. This page lists cached ads for the respective category and displays paging links if number of ads in this category is greater than the number specified as adsPerPage in cache_config.asp configuration page. Each ad link would respectively lead to the cached ad page. The list page is also SE optimized. All Meta tags, title and full description would be the inherited from the individual main category configuration set in "Category Administration" admin page. The page name would be in a format such as: categoryID.asp. If you set isCacheCatsName = True in cache_config.asp configuration page, then the list page would also inherit category name (the same way as category subfolders). The format in this case would be: Category-name_ categoryID.asp. The category list page constricted from cache_cat.asp template. The template filled with complex ASP routine. If you intended to modify cache_cat.asp template format, then it is expected that you have some ASP experience. 8.3.2 Ads Cache Configuration Open config/cache_config.asp, cache_cat.asp and cache_template.asp pages from Web Pages folder in any text editor. If you configured the charset in language/language.asp at rc installation to something other than default (Windows-1252), then configure meta tags in cache_cat.asp and cache_template.asp for the same chatset used in language.asp. Close cache_cat.asp, there is no need to modify anything else here. cache_template.asp The cache_template.asp is an HTML template for ads caching page. You may freely modify this page for style and appearance. You may also include static advertisement into the page. Google Adsence is most suited as it renders advertisement relevant to the page content. This page contains textual variables such as :web_site:, :msubject:, .. etc. Make sure not to modify those variables and their logical location. For instance: <a href=":web_site:"><h4>:web_name:</h4></a> used to build a link back to the main site. While you can move this link around or change the style (<h4> to <h2> for instance), never move the :web_site: out of href value or change it. During ads caching, those textual variables replaced with actual values for each cached ad and then template saved as an individual cached page in the respective category subfolder within ads folder. Note: Failing to follow the above recommendation might result in missing ad information on cached pages or broken links from those pages. Here is a reference for variables used in cache_template.asp: :msubject: - replaced with ad title and meta description. :meta_keywords: - replaced with meta keywords :web_site: - replaced with Site URL specified in Admin Preferences. :web_name: - replaced with Site Name specified in Admin Preferences. :subject: - replaced with ad subject :datePosted: - replaced with ad post date. :dateExpire: - replaced with ad expiration date. :UserName: - replaced with user name. :catName: - replaced with combination of category/subcategory properly linked. :adID: - replaced with ad ID :adDescr: - replaced with ad description. Note: Some variables may be removed if you wish that the corresponding information be omitted from the cached ad. For instance if you wish not to have a user name displayed, you may remove :UserName: along with the row which displays this information. cache_config.asp Several configurable variables are available in this configuration page. adsPerPage - Variable controls number of ad links displayed within cached ads list pages. From SEO stand point single page should not have more than 100 links. 70-80 is optimal number because there would also be paging links displayed at list pages as well. pagingBatch - Variable controls number of paging links to display at a single ads list page. If there were more than 20 pages, then "next" link would move entire batch to the next 20 level. Optimal value is 10-20. Note: If you ever change any of the 5 variables below and given that you have some ads already cached, you would have to delete all current cache, and recreate it. If you use Google sitemaps, then sitemap.xml would have to be recreated as well. isCacheCatsName - By configuring this variable you would allow/disallow including main category name into the subfolder name, where cached ads for the respective category are stored. By default only 26 ASCII letters (English alphabet) characters are allowed. All other characters filtered and not included into the folder name. Words separated with a dash [-]. isCacheCatsName = False - Do not allow category name. Name syntax: categoryID isCacheCatsName = True - Allow category name. Name syntax: Category-name_ categoryID isCacheAdsName – By configuring this variable you would allow/disallow including of an ad subject into the cached ad page name. By default only 26 ASCII letters (English alphabet) characters are allowed. All other characters filtered and not included into the cached page name. Words separated with a dash [-]. isCacheAdsName = False - Do not allow subject in a page name. Name syntax: adID.htm isCacheAdsName = True - Allow subject in a page name. Name syntax: ad-subject_adID.htm Note: The following 3 variables are only effective in case if either isCacheCatsName or isCacheAdsName (or both) are set to the True value. disregardWordLength - Controls processing of short words within category or ad subject names when they are included into the folder/page name. Possible values are 1,2,3. Example: disregardWordLength = 2 This would remove words with 2 or less characters such as [a], [of], [in], ..etc. Note: Do not set it for 0. allowDigits - Controls numeric values in a name. Possible values are: allowDigits = "" - Removes any number from names. allowDigits = "\d" - Preserve all number in names. extraCharacters - Allow specified characters into folder/page names. As stated above only 26 ASCII letters (English alphabet) characters allowed. By configuring this variable, you may allow some other special characters into names. extraCharacters = "" - Disallow any other characters. extraCharacters = "$=#" - Allow [$], [=] and [#] characters into names. Although you may allow some characters (other than 26 letters), it is strongly recommended not to do so. Include only if you must (for one reason or another). Important: Never allow the following characters: [ \ / < > : " * \| ? & ] 8.3.3 Ads Cache Maintenance Here is a list of typical situations, when you would need to maintain ads cache (manually delete/re-create). You have: - Changed Meta properties, full description or title for one or more main categories or - Changed the format of cache_cat.asp template. You need: - To navigate to adslist page while logged on as administrator and click "Rebuild List pages" You have: - Renamed one or more categories in Category Administration. Generally, this would not affect the list pages or cache folder name (it would automatically be renamed). But the category on the cached ad page itself would retain the old name. You need: - To navigate to cache management page. Select renamed category, click "Delete..", then select that category again and click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page. You have: - Moved ads (with Ads mover Tool) between subcategories, which belong to the same or different Main categories. You need: - To navigate to cache management page. For each Main category that you moved ads under, click "Delete..", then select that category again and click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page. You have: - Changed the value for any of the following variables in cache_config.asp: isCacheCatsName, isCacheAdsName, disregardWordLength, allowDigits, extraCharacters or - Modified cache_template.asp in any way. You need: - To navigate to cache management page. Click "Delete..", then and click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page. You have: - Moved classified to different hosting, domain or different location at current site. You need: - Not to transfer content within "ads" folder to a new location. After site moved, change the Site URL in Admin Preferences to reflect the correct site location. Navigate to cache management page. Click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page. You have: - Modified any of the URL Rewrite configurable variables, or changed the rewrite rules. You need: - To navigate to adslist page while logged on as administrator and click "Rebuild List pages". Navigate to cache management page. Click "Delete..", then and click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page.
©2003-2010 Rapid Classified v3.3 GA Soft

Next step in SE optimization is to decide whether to cache ads. Normally ads display dynamically through viewad.asp and view_print.asp pages. However while indexing, the search spider might not find all ads due to the fact that links to ads build dynamically from dynamically generated pages such as viewlist.asp and viewsublist.asp. Spider might not properly jump from one page to another if you have list pages spanned for the same subcategory (dynamic paging - more than one page to list ads). Some spiders will not go deep into levels and some will be confused at all. The most reliable way to have all your ads crawled, is to create a static cache pages for ads in .htm format and place them into separate folder. Four conditions must be met for a successful caching:

· You need to enable caching: go to "Admin Preferences", check "Enable Ads Caching" check box and save changes.

· You Web Server Must Support MSXML2 component (most do).

· You have properly configured your "Site URL" in "Admin Preferences". Properly means, it is pointed to your classified location and ended with "/". Here are few examples:

- mysite.com --->wrong
- www.mysite.com --->wrong
- http://www.mysite.com --->wrong
- http://www.mysite.com/ --->right (RC is located at the root of the site)
- http://www.mysite.com/classified/ --->right (RC is located in "classified" folder from the root of the site)

8.3.1 Ads Cache Management

Open Admin Preferences page, check "Enable Ads Caching" (if ads caching is not already enabled) and save settings. Navigate to cache management page from a "Manage" link right next to "Enable Ads Caching" check box.

Check "Test Ad Caching" box, and then click "Start Caching". First available ad would be cached and presented in an iframe for viewing the resulted format. If you satisfied with the format, then go back with "Back to Caching" link and click "Start Caching" again without "Test Ad Caching" box checked.

Depending on a number of ads in your database, it might take some time to cache all ads. On average, it takes 1 second per 100 ads to cache. If you need to change the format, then follow recommendations in chapter II above and then re-create the cache.

Once caching finished, you would be prompted with the message about number of cached ads and the time of execution. Click "Back to Caching" and then "Cached Ads List". It would take you to adslist.asp page.

Note: There is also a link to adslist.asp page within footer menu named Ads

Ads list page only lists main categories (much like browse.asp page). Each category link pointed to the category specific list page, which in turn created, when the adslist.asp page loaded for the first time. Click on any category and you would be taken to category specific ads list page. This page lists cached ads for the respective category and displays paging links if number of ads in this category is greater than the number specified as adsPerPage in cache_config.asp configuration page. Each ad link would respectively lead to the cached ad page.

The list page is also SE optimized. All Meta tags, title and full description would be the inherited from the individual main category configuration set in "Category Administration" admin page. The page name would be in a format such as: categoryID.asp. If you set isCacheCatsName = True in cache_config.asp configuration page, then the list page would also inherit category name (the same way as category subfolders). The format in this case would be: Category-name_ categoryID.asp.

The category list page constricted from cache_cat.asp template. The template filled with complex ASP routine. If you intended to modify cache_cat.asp template format, then it is expected that you have some ASP experience.

8.3.2 Ads Cache Configuration

Open config/cache_config.asp, cache_cat.asp and cache_template.asp pages from Web Pages folder in any text editor.

If you configured the charset in language/language.asp at rc installation to something other than default (Windows-1252), then configure meta tags in cache_cat.asp and cache_template.asp for the same chatset used in language.asp. Close cache_cat.asp, there is no need to modify anything else here.

cache_template.asp

The cache_template.asp is an HTML template for ads caching page. You may freely modify this page for style and appearance.

You may also include static advertisement into the page. Google Adsence is most suited as it renders advertisement relevant to the page content.

This page contains textual variables such as :web_site:, :msubject:, .. etc. Make sure not to modify those variables and their logical location. For instance:

<a href=":web_site:"><h4>:web_name:</h4></a>

used to build a link back to the main site. While you can move this link around or change the style (<h4> to <h2> for instance), never move the :web_site: out of href value or change it.

During ads caching, those textual variables replaced with actual values for each cached ad and then template saved as an individual cached page in the respective category subfolder within ads folder.

Note: Failing to follow the above recommendation might result in missing ad information on cached pages or broken links from those pages.

Here is a reference for variables used in cache_template.asp:

:msubject: - replaced with ad title and meta description.
:meta_keywords: - replaced with meta keywords
:web_site: - replaced with Site URL specified in Admin Preferences.
:web_name: - replaced with Site Name specified in Admin Preferences.
:subject: - replaced with ad subject
:datePosted: - replaced with ad post date.
:dateExpire: - replaced with ad expiration date.
:UserName: - replaced with user name.
:catName: - replaced with combination of category/subcategory properly linked.
:adID: - replaced with ad ID
:adDescr: - replaced with ad description.

Note: Some variables may be removed if you wish that the corresponding information be omitted from the cached ad. For instance if you wish not to have a user name displayed, you may remove :UserName: along with the row which displays this information.

cache_config.asp

Several configurable variables are available in this configuration page.

adsPerPage - Variable controls number of ad links displayed within cached ads list pages. From SEO stand point single page should not have more than 100 links. 70-80 is optimal number because there would also be paging links displayed at list pages as well.

pagingBatch - Variable controls number of paging links to display at a single ads list page. If there were more than 20 pages, then "next" link would move entire batch to the next 20 level. Optimal value is 10-20.

Note: If you ever change any of the 5 variables below and given that you have some ads already cached, you would have to delete all current cache, and recreate it. If you use Google sitemaps, then sitemap.xml would have to be recreated as well.

isCacheCatsName - By configuring this variable you would allow/disallow including main category name into the subfolder name, where cached ads for the respective category are stored. By default only 26 ASCII letters (English alphabet) characters are allowed. All other characters filtered and not included into the folder name. Words separated with a dash [-].

isCacheCatsName = False - Do not allow category name. Name syntax: categoryID
isCacheCatsName = True - Allow category name. Name syntax: Category-name_ categoryID

isCacheAdsName – By configuring this variable you would allow/disallow including of an ad subject into the cached ad page name. By default only 26 ASCII letters (English alphabet) characters are allowed. All other characters filtered and not included into the cached page name. Words separated with a dash [-].

isCacheAdsName = False - Do not allow subject in a page name. Name syntax: adID.htm
isCacheAdsName = True - Allow subject in a page name. Name syntax: ad-subject_adID.htm

Note: The following 3 variables are only effective in case if either isCacheCatsName or isCacheAdsName (or both) are set to the True value.

disregardWordLength - Controls processing of short words within category or ad subject names when they are included into the folder/page name. Possible values are 1,2,3. Example:

disregardWordLength = 2

This would remove words with 2 or less characters such as [a], [of], [in], ..etc.
Note: Do not set it for 0.

allowDigits - Controls numeric values in a name. Possible values are:

allowDigits = "" - Removes any number from names.
allowDigits = "\d" - Preserve all number in names.

extraCharacters - Allow specified characters into folder/page names. As stated above only 26 ASCII letters (English alphabet) characters allowed. By configuring this variable, you may allow some other special characters into names.

extraCharacters = "" - Disallow any other characters.
extraCharacters = "$=#" - Allow [$], [=] and [#] characters into names.

Although you may allow some characters (other than 26 letters), it is strongly recommended not to do so. Include only if you must (for one reason or another).

Important: Never allow the following characters: [ \ / < > : " * | ? & ]

8.3.3 Ads Cache Maintenance

Here is a list of typical situations, when you would need to maintain ads cache (manually delete/re-create).

You have:
- Changed Meta properties, full description or title for one or more main categories or
- Changed the format of cache_cat.asp template.
You need:
- To navigate to adslist page while logged on as administrator and click "Rebuild List pages"

You have:
- Renamed one or more categories in Category Administration. Generally, this would not affect the list pages or cache folder name (it would automatically be renamed). But the category on the cached ad page itself would retain the old name.
You need:
- To navigate to cache management page. Select renamed category, click "Delete..", then select that category again and click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page.

You have:
- Moved ads (with Ads mover Tool) between subcategories, which belong to the same or different Main categories.
You need:
- To navigate to cache management page. For each Main category that you moved ads under, click "Delete..", then select that category again and click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page.

You have:
- Changed the value for any of the following variables in cache_config.asp: isCacheCatsName, isCacheAdsName, disregardWordLength, allowDigits, extraCharacters or
- Modified cache_template.asp in any way.
You need:
- To navigate to cache management page. Click "Delete..", then and click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page.

You have:
- Moved classified to different hosting, domain or different location at current site.
You need:
- Not to transfer content within "ads" folder to a new location. After site moved, change the Site URL in Admin Preferences to reflect the correct site location. Navigate to cache management page. Click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page.

You have:
- Modified any of the URL Rewrite configurable variables, or changed the rewrite rules.
You need:
- To navigate to adslist page while logged on as administrator and click "Rebuild List pages". Navigate to cache management page. Click "Delete..", then and click "Start Caching". Recreate sitemap.xml in Google SiteMap admin page.