That .htaccess you quoted should be in your includes/ folder - not the root (eg: public_html). If you have copied it to the root, put it back where it belongs.
That's the reason for your anonymity.

You normally would not have an .htaccess file in the root unless your server created it for a PHP override or for adding intentional redirects.

In something like notepad++, copy the following and save it as .htaccess. Then, FTP it to the ROOT of your website (eg: public_html)

 Needed before any rewritingRewriteEngine On


# Redirect HTTP with www to HTTPS with www
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]
# Redirect HTTP without www to HTTPS with www
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]
# Redirect HTTPS without www to HTTPS with www
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]
## 301 Redirects
```This will force everything to the www of your site which matches the SSL.  Make sure any bookmarks you have made to the site or admin have the www in them.

Okay thank you for helping.

I have done what you advised.

This is my robot.txt file

User-agent: *
Disallow: /cgi-bin/
Disallow: /SHOPTEST/

Sitemap: https://gotitall.co.za/sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://gotitall.co.za/sitemap/sitemapcategories.xml
Sitemap: https://gotitall.co.za/sitemap/sitemapmainpage.xml
Sitemap: https://gotitall.co.za/sitemap/sitemapmanufacturers.xml
Sitemap: https://gotitall.co.za/sitemap/sitemapproducts.xml
Sitemap: https://gotitall.co.za/sitemap/sitemapproducts000.xml

and this is my google search console submission

and this is the code for both config files

• Enter the domain for your Admin URL. If you have SSL, enter the correct https address in the HTTP_SERVER setting, instead of just an http address.
  /
  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://www.gotitall.co.za');
  /*
• Note about HTTPS_SERVER:
• There is no longer an HTTPS_SERVER setting for the Admin. Instead, put your SSL URL in the HTTP_SERVER setting above.
  */

/**

• Note about DIR_WS_ADMIN
• The DIR_WS_ADMIN value is now auto-detected.
• In the rare case where it cannot be detected properly, you can add your own DIR_WS_ADMIN definition below.
  */

/**

• Enter the domain for your storefront URL.
• Enter a separate SSL URL in HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER if your store supports SSL.
  */
  define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://www.gotitall.co.za');
  define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://www.gotitall.co.za');

/**

• Do you use SSL for your customers login/checkout on the storefront? If so, enter 'true'. Else 'false'.
  */
  define('ENABLE_SSL_CATALOG', 'true');

Is what I have done above this correct ?

If I enter https://www.gotitall.co.za in the browser it still shows the site as "Not secure" and if I refresh and copy the URL it shows http://www.gotitall.co.za/
Does not seem to be reflecting any changes to https although the redirect of www seems fine

Please note in sitemap submission that the last line /sitemap.xml always shows as 0 URL's discovered.
No matter if I did it as http or https it is always 0

This sitemap is generated by SitemapXML plugin

https://gotitall.co.za/sitemap.xml

Which does not show the www
Could this perhaps be the reason ?

I have rebuilt the sitemap in tools and here are the results

Actually look at the domain settings in the includes/configure.php to make sure the www. is on the domains.

Remove this from your robots.txt. There is no reson to block crawling of an area the search engines can't find. Doing so makes certain it's found =)

Disallow: /SHOPTEST/

~Melanie

mprough:

Remove this from your robots.txt. There is no reson to block crawling of an area the search engines can't find. Doing so makes certain it's found =)

Disallow: /SHOPTEST/

~Melanie

Even if the Folder /SHOPTEST is in my public_html directory ?
I have created it as a sub-domain "test area"

I just didn't want Google to penalize me for duplicates

Should I still remove it ?

barco57:

Actually look at the domain settings in the includes/configure.php to make sure the www. is on the domains.

Yes both configure files have www

/**

• Enter the domain for your Admin URL. If you have SSL, enter the correct https address in the HTTP_SERVER setting, instead of just an http address.
  /
  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://www.gotitall.co.za');
  /*
• Note about HTTPS_SERVER:
• There is no longer an HTTPS_SERVER setting for the Admin. Instead, put your SSL URL in the HTTP_SERVER setting above.
  */

/**

• Note about DIR_WS_ADMIN
• The DIR_WS_ADMIN value is now auto-detected.
• In the rare case where it cannot be detected properly, you can add your own DIR_WS_ADMIN definition below.
  */

/**

• Enter the domain for your storefront URL.
• Enter a separate SSL URL in HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER if your store supports SSL.
  */
  define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://www.gotitall.co.za');
  define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://www.gotitall.co.za');

/**

• Do you use SSL for your customers login/checkout on the storefront? If so, enter 'true'. Else 'false'.
  */
  define('ENABLE_SSL_CATALOG', 'true');

and

/**

• Enter the domain for your store
• HTTP_SERVER is your Main webserver: eg-http://www.yourdomain.com
• HTTPS_SERVER is your Secure/SSL webserver: eg-https://www.yourdomain.com
  */
  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://www.gotitall.co.za');
  define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://www.gotitall.co.za');

/**

• If you want to tell Zen Cart to use your HTTPS URL on sensitive pages like login and checkout, set this to 'true'. Otherwise 'false'. (Keep the quotes)
  */
  define('ENABLE_SSL', 'true');

/**

• These DIR_WS_xxxx values refer to the name of any subdirectory in which your store is located.
• These values get added to the HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER and HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER values to form the complete URLs to your storefront.
• They should always start and end with a slash ... ie: '/' or '/foldername/'
  */
  define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/');
  define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/');

GameChanger69:

Even if the Folder /SHOPTEST is in my public_html directory ?
I have created it as a sub-domain "test area"

I just didn't want Google to penalize me for duplicates

Should I still remove it ?

robots.txt does not prevent indexing, only crawling. Pointing it out in your robots.txt makes it far more likely the search engines would find it (and rogue ones will actually index it).
I would remove it.

dbltoe:

That .htaccess you quoted should be in your includes/ folder - not the root (eg: public_html). If you have copied it to the root, put it back where it belongs.
That's the reason for your anonymity.

You normally would not have an .htaccess file in the root unless your server created it for a PHP override or for adding intentional redirects.

In something like notepad++, copy the following and save it as .htaccess. Then, FTP it to the ROOT of your website (eg: public_html)

Needed before any rewritingRewriteEngine On

Redirect HTTP with www to HTTPS with www

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

Redirect HTTP without www to HTTPS with www

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

Redirect HTTPS without www to HTTPS with www

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

301 Redirects

I have made all the changes as you suggested and got this email today from Google



Please advise how I should proceed

Also if I see how many listings we have

site:gotitall.co.za it shows 6 listings but where does this text come from under the product title. We actually have over 10 000 products.

I see it is in our "About US" section but why is it pulling through for each product description. I want the product specs and details not a repeat of the same info.

I know this has something to do with metatags but I am not sure why this setting has been changed.

I am using CSS mega Menu. Would that have something to do with this issue ?

I see you stopped the redirects in your htaccess. You have both www and non www indexed, so make sure you login to Google webmaster's tools and choose www with Google.

Then try and test this in your htaccess... it's difficult to give rules like this without knowing server stuff and testing.

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^gotitall.co.za [NC]
RewriteRule (.*)$ https://www.gotitall.co.za/$1 [R=301,L]

OR

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^gotitall.co.za$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.gotitall.co.za$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ "http\:\/\/www\.gotitall\.co\.za\/$1" [R=301,L]

Make sure to include this at the top if it isn't there already

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /

The problem is that your domain is treated like a sub-domain because technically it is.
~Melanie

Hi Melanie

I already created the htaccess file as suggested by dbltoe
It is the code below :

Needed before any rewritingRewriteEngine On

Redirect HTTP with www to HTTPS with www

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

Redirect HTTP without www to HTTPS with www

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

Redirect HTTPS without www to HTTPS with www

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www. [NC]
RewriteRule .* https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

301 Redirects

I see that the file is .htaccess.txt

Would this be the issue ?
Because I see another file underneath it call .htaccess (without the.txt)

This file contains :

php -- BEGIN cPanel-generated handler, do not edit

Set the “ea-php74” package as the default “PHP” programming language.

Are you suggesting I add more code to which file ?

I can give you access to Cpanel if you require.
I am really desperate to get my products listed with Google as I am about to lose my business.

htaccess.txt is nothing. Your file needs to be .htaccess which is the config. So you would edit the one with the PHP information in it without deleting any of the cPanel PHP syntax =)

~mELANIE

GameChanger69:

I can give you access to Cpanel if you require.
I am really desperate to get my products listed with Google as I am about to lose my business.
I have no concerns with mprough being the one to help you. I do want to impress upon you to be cautious with your reaching out for or more importantly accepting help associated with cpanel or other overarching support. Giving access to Cpanel among other areas gives a significant amount of access to the individual which could be used against you especially in your time of need. Again, I have no concern with mprough helping you, but please keep your wits about you as you strive to resolve your issue(s).

@barco57 did we get dissed?:P

dbltoe:

@barco57 did we get dissed?:P
:lookaroun(Indirectly and accidentally, yes) I didn't want the individual in proximity of my post to be called into question... So I should have indicated (and others). Based on that, I also have no concerns of dbltoe nor barco57. We all may have our own discussions of ways forward and that those that have contributed in this thread have done so out of pure attempt to resolve the issue and get things back on track.

My bad... :oops:

I knew what you meant but just had to razz you a little. :bigups:

dbltoe:

I knew what you meant but just had to razz you a little. :bigups:
Received well, though I could agree that the comment was worth making for other readers such as the OP. :) Carry on!

Well I have made all the suggested changes and still nothing. I have no problem giving access to my site because we do not take payments online etc. The site is pretty buggered anyway and I could simply restore it.

There is not much anyone can do to break it as I have done so already.
If anyone is willing to had a go then please be my guest and I will provide login details.

I have nothing to lose right now as Google isn't listing my site so there basically isn't even a site just people updating prices and content that can't be seen by anybody.

GameChanger69:

I have nothing to lose right now as Google isn't listing my site so there basically isn't even a site just people updating prices and content that can't be seen by anybody.

A strong argument can be made that nobody should ever rely solely on Google to "bring visitors".

You should use multiple methods to make your site visible to your target audience.

• build a mailing list of people interested in what you have to offer (this is the most valuable, since you "own" control over how this list is used)
• post useful information about your products in discussion groups (forums, social media, etc) where your target audience hangs out
• become a guest on podcasts which your target audience listens to
• find vendors who sell to your target market and get them to mention your products as complimentary to what they offer
• after you've done all that, consider paid ads on various platforms, again: targeted to your specific customer
  Don't rely on one source of traffic, else you'll be in this same predicament again later next time something changes.

Get this: https://trafficsecrets.com -- this book is worth the $10 many times over