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Page Not Found: 404 Errors on Build a Niche Store

The excitement can be felt pulsating through the air as you watch the last of the Build a Niche Store files complete their merry upload to not just your new domain, but to what is soon to be your Affiliate Kingdom. Eagerly you scurry through the installation, but not so fast as to make any mistakes and joyously log in for the first time. You study each page carefully, selecting the most lucrative and profitable categories. Filling and setting everything up just perfectly and with profound joy and satisfaction you click View Site for the first time. You can already hear the cha-ching of internet dollars rolling your way. In the instance before the page loads your mentally picking out the color of the new sports car and deciding just how many bathrooms is too many when catastrophe unleashes itself before your very eyes. All your work, all your investment, all your dreams stare back at you in three deafening words…. Page Not Found.

Receiving a 40 error on your site is one of the most frustrating experiences a new user can have. Trust me, I've been there! 404 errors on Build a Niche Store Sites be caused by a variety of reasons. This section will cover the most common of these and hopefully help you get past this annoyance and back to building. First though you must determine what kind of 404 errors you are receiving. To do this, please select one of the following:

• I can not access any page of my site including the home page click here
• I can access most of my site but a few store pages do not work click here
• I can access the home page of my site but none of the store pages work click here

Unable to access any page of the site

This is the most difficult problem to solve as there are many variables that almost all relate to your Hosting Provider or how you configured the site on your hosting account.

This problem, of not even being able to access the home page of your site, has, to our knowledge, never been due to an issue with the software. The most common cause is an incompatible hosting service or package. You may want to check the Build a Niche Store hosting requirement before continuing. If you determine you have incompatible hosting and your Hosting Provider can not make the changes required to run Build a Niche Store properly, you can obtain 100% compatible hosting through Hostgator.

Start by ensuring that the following items have been configured / applied to your hosting account correctly.

1. Determine that you are on a Linux/Unix Hosting Plan and not a Windows Hosting Plan. You can do this by checking in your C-Panel or just contacting your Hosting Provider. If you are on a Windows Plan most hosting companies will switch it to a Linux/Unix Plan at no charge.
2. Determine if your hosting account has PHP enabled. Many low cost and free hosting packages will not have additional features like PHP, which Build a Niche Store is built on, enabled. If you do not have PHP enabled on your account ask your Hosting Provider to enable it. Your Hosting Provider may charge you additionally for this, make sure to find out. If you are charged and the cost of the package is more than $9.00 per month we would advise you to switch to our recommended hosting service as they provide this and many other features at no charge.
3. Please check one of the following depending on what type of domain it is. We have provided some basic information to help you determine this.
4. • This is the main domain on my hosting account (i.e. the domain name I used when setting up the hosting service). Ensure that the BANS files are in the root of the domain and not in a folder. The root of the domain will depend on who you are hosted with, but is normally the public_html folder on your account. If you open the public_html folder you should see the bans folders and files. If you do not, and there is no other website already installed on this site, upload the files again and try to access the website. The problem is the files have not been uploaded to the correct place.
   • This is an add-on domain (i.e. additional domain names I've purchased since setting up my hosting service). For an add-on domain, first check that the DNS is set to the correct hosting account. When you purchased hosting you should have received a set of DNS Addresses something like NS345.YOURHOST.COM. To check these are set correctly, you can contact the Service you purchased the Domain Name from and ask them, or you can check it from your online account with them. If the DNS is not correct then change it and make sure to save your changes. In some instances you may now have to remove the add-on domain from your hosting service and then add it back to propagate correctly.
   • This is an add-on or sub-domain. If you have already checked the DNS and it is correct or you are having issues with a sub-domain then do the following. Log into your C-panel and navigate to your list of add-on or sub domains. Look at the path that was assigned to that domain during setup (this will be the same as the name of the folder that was created for the domain on your host). Check the spelling AND SYNTAX of that path to the domain folder you installed Build a Niche Store in. The folder name on your host for that domain can not be different from the path established in C-panel or modified after being setup. For example, if you added on the domain mynewdomain.com to your account, the setup process created a folder on your host, inside the public_html folder, called mynewdomain (unless you specified a different name). If you then rename that folder to Mynewdomain (notice the capital M) that domain will no longer function. You must change the folder name back to mynewdomain. So ensure that the two names match exactly.
5. Contact your Hosting Provider and ask them why you can not access the domain. You can also search the members forum for your Hosting Provider to see if there are any known compatibility problems and / or fixes.

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Most pages work but there are few that do not

If you are able to navigate through your site only receiving 404 errors on a single page or a few pages, but almost all other pages are fine, then this is probably an easy fix.

There are several categories throughout eBay that were combined and given a category name like "shoes / socks". When Build a Niche Store imports a category with a "/" backslash in it, that backslash is then added to the File Name of that store page. The File Name on Store and Content Pages is the wording that will display in the browser address bar (your url) for that page. For example "shoes / socks" would display as "www.mynewdomain.com/shoes/socks". As you can see, that is not an appropriate url since the extra backslash is being seen as a "folder" by the browser.

In order to fix this, login to your Admin Area, select Store Pages from the menu options and click on 'edit' next to the store page that is not working. Scroll down to the bottom of the store edit page, File Name is the last box, and change the "shoes / socks" to "shoes-socks". Save your changes and your store page should now be operating correctly.

NOTE: The File Name Area should not contain any characters other than numbers, letters, dashes or underscores. This includes sp aces! "shoes / socks" would have to be changed to "shoes-socks", "shoes_socks" or "shoessocks". If you tried to change it to "shoes socks" that will not work and you will still receive 404 errors!

I can access the Home Page but none of the Store Pages work

This problem has to do with the .htaccess file and the use of Mod_Rewrite on your hosting account. In most cases this can be fixed in a few simple steps unless you have an incompatible hosting service. Click here to review what to do in that case.

1. Make sure your Hosting Provider meets all the Build a Niche Store Requirements. If they do not, you can obtain 100% compatible hosting from our recommended provider Hostgator.
2. Make sure that the .htaccess file included with the Build a Niche Store Package was uploaded to the root of your store, which is the same place the store's index.php file is located.
3. Double check that 1) the .htaccess file is named correctly, notice the . (dot) is in front of the word htaccess and 2) that the content of the file was not corrupted.
   Options +FollowSymLinks RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} -f [OR] RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} -d [OR] RewriteCond %{ENV:REDIRECT_STATUS} !^$ RewriteRule .* – [L] RewriteRule ^sitemap.xml sitemap.php [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^install.php install.php [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^pict/([^/]+)?$ http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/pict/$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^item/([^/]+)?$ item.php?i=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^item/view/(.*)?$ item.php?i=view&u=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^register.php item.php?i=register [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^bans.php item.php?b=bans [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^search/([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=search&q=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^([^/]+)/([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=$1&subCat=$2 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=$1 [QSA,L]
4. Some Hosting Providers require an additional bit of code to be placed in the .htaccess file to operate properly. In your .htaccess add "RewriteBase /" (without quotes) directly below "RewriteEngine On".
   Options +FollowSymLinks RewriteEngine On ReWriteBase / RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} -f [OR] RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} -d [OR] RewriteCond %{ENV:REDIRECT_STATUS} !^$ RewriteRule .* – [L] RewriteRule ^sitemap.xml sitemap.php [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^install.php install.php [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^pict/([^/]+)?$ http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/pict/$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^item/([^/]+)?$ item.php?i=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^item/view/(.*)?$ item.php?i=view&u=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^register.php item.php?i=register [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^bans.php item.php?b=bans [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^search/([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=search&q=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^([^/]+)/([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=$1&subCat=$2 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=$1 [QSA,L]
5. In some rare cases, if this is an add-on domain or a sub-domain, the .htaccess file will have to be placed directly inside the public_html folder rather than in the folder where the Build a Niche Store Software is installed. You must also add this text "RewriteBase /foldername" (changing foldername to the name of the folder BANS is installed in) directly beneath the line "RewriteEngine On" in your .htaccess file.
   Options +FollowSymLinks RewriteEngine On ReWriteBase / FOLDERNAME RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} -f [OR] RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} -d [OR] RewriteCond %{ENV:REDIRECT_STATUS} !^$ RewriteRule .* – [L] RewriteRule ^sitemap.xml sitemap.php [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^install.php install.php [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^pict/([^/]+)?$ http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/pict/$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^item/([^/]+)?$ item.php?i=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^item/view/(.*)?$ item.php?i=view&u=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^register.php item.php?i=register [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^bans.php item.php?b=bans [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^search/([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=search&q=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^([^/]+)/([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=$1&subCat=$2 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=$1 [QSA,L]
   

   ATTENTION: This will overwrite any .htaccess files already present in your root directory. If you already have a .htaccess file in the root you will need to merge the two files into one.

6. NEW from Forum Member pakodk. Some Hosting Providers like One.com may require a # sign to be placed in front of "Options +FollowSymLinks".
   #Options +FollowSymLinks RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} -f [OR] RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} -d [OR] RewriteCond %{ENV:REDIRECT_STATUS} !^$ RewriteRule .* – [L] RewriteRule ^sitemap.xml sitemap.php [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^install.php install.php [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^pict/([^/]+)?$ http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/pict/$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^item/([^/]+)?$ item.php?i=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^item/view/(.*)?$ item.php?i=view&u=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^register.php item.php?i=register [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^bans.php item.php?b=bans [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^search/([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=search&q=$1 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^([^/]+)/([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=$1&subCat=$2 [QSA,L] RewriteRule ^([^/]+)?$ index.php?mainCat=$1 [QSA,L]
7. Contact your Hosting Provider and ask them why the Mod_Rewrite is not working. You can also search the members forum for your Hosting Provider to see if there are any know compatibility problems and / or fixes.

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