Links Stop Working After an Edit
Website template support for problem links
Broken links may happen on your computer hard drive, or the problem may occur after you upload. This is a common problem and is sometimes caused by bugs in some editors and browser versions. Once the template is uploaded the links may work properly.
See Also…
Problem:See Also…
After editing any one of your website files the menu links (or page links) stop working.
Solutions:
HTM or HTML?
Working Off-line: Are your pages called .htm or .html? Some editors may change the file extension and cause the pages not to work. You can either rename these pages or you can edit the "menu.js" (or page links) with the exact page names including the correct extension.
Try a different web browser
Working Off-line: Google Chrome is the most popular browser and Firefox is number two. It's recommended that you download one or both of these browsers for website setup and testing.
Preview your work in a web browser
Working Off-line: Do not use the built-in "preview" mode with your HTML editor, instead use a web browser to preview and check your HTML webpages.
Browser software bugs
Working Off-line: There is an unusual bug in some versions of Internet Explorer that occurs when you edit an HTML page. Some menu links will stop working even though you have not edited the "menu.js". Try either testing your webpages using different browser software (see section above) or upload to your hosting area for testing.
Do not use spaces
Working Off-line & On-line: It is best to not use spaces in any file names on a website. Use a dash for spaces in the file names. Optionally you can use an underscore, however it is generally believed that a dash is better for SEO.
Compare your filenames and menu code
Working Off-line & On-line: The menu or link and page name must match exactly letter for letter, including the letter case, for the links to work. You can change page names to anything you like but they must match exactly. Double check the menu link and file names.
Wrong link problem
Working Off-line: If the code appears to be correct in your "menu.js" or with your webpage links, it's possible you are missing a closing </a> link tag. Any time you open a tag for a link using "<a href=" a closing </a> tag is required after the link name text. Check that all links include a closing tag.
The link just before the wrong page link will probably be the problem link.
Case problems
Working On-line: This usually only occurs after you have uploaded. You links are not working on your website. Remember that hosting is case sensitive. Once uploaded "About.htm" is not the same as "about.htm". Double check all your page names and menu or link code.
Link problems in Dreamweaver
Working Off-line: The "Live View" option in Dreamweaver may cause some link errors. Although you can view any individual HTML webpage using Dreamweaver features, webpages may not always render as designed. For webpage previews it's best to use separate web browser software open along with your Dreamweaver editing window.
PDF link problems
Working Off-line: PDF pages can also have link problems that can be caused by PDF reader software not being installed. If reader software is installed, the problem may be solved once the template is uploaded or tested in a different browser. For PDF file links, review the info above as these links will usually encounter the same types of issues.