FAQ · Link recovery boundaries
LitBuy Spreadsheet dead link and redirect FAQ
Use these answers to keep each recovery decision traceable, separate temporary access problems from permanent changes, and avoid unsupported replacement links.
How to evaluate a redirected LitBuy Spreadsheet link
- What should I record after a redirect?
- Keep the old reference, the final URL after all redirects finish, the check date, and the visible details used to judge relevance. Include exact option or selection text when the saved row depends on it.
- What makes a redirect relevant?
- The final page must support the same intended brand, item context, and selection purpose as the old row. A successful response or similar title is not enough on its own.
- What makes a redirect irrelevant?
- The final page changes the intended item, selection, brand context, or research task. Record the redirect as evidence, but do not use the unrelated destination as a replacement.
- Should I overwrite the original URL when a redirect is relevant?
- Keep both. The original URL preserves history, while the current final URL records the path that was reviewed. This makes later changes easier to understand.
Permanent, temporary, and unobservable states
- Does one timeout mean the page is gone?
- No. Record the date, approximate time, and observed error, then retry before classifying the destination as removed. Temporary network and service failures do not establish a permanent content state.
- What does a challenge page prove?
- Only that the content was not reliably observable during that check. It does not prove that the destination is removed, safe, relevant, or unchanged.
- How should I handle a consistent 404?
- Record the missing-page state and preserve the old URL. If no relevant current page can be confirmed, mark the row for fresh research rather than guessing a replacement.
- What if the page works on a later retry?
- Add the successful observation without erasing the earlier failure. A short history shows whether the row had a temporary access problem or a repeated reliability issue.
When the page opens but the saved row is stale
- Can a live page still be a stale spreadsheet row?
- Yes. The page may load while the visible title, option, image context, or other saved detail has changed. Update only the fields supported by the current page.
- What if the exact option is no longer visible?
- Do not assume another option is equivalent. Record that the saved selection could not be confirmed and decide whether the row should be revised, archived, or researched again.
- Can an old image prove the current page is unchanged?
- No. An old screenshot can document history, but the current classification should use what is visible on the current destination and note any uncertainty.
When a replacement is supported and when research must restart
- Can a similar image support a replacement?
- No. A replacement needs a relevant current page and matching selection context. Similar presentation is a discovery clue, not verification.
- Can I use another brand resource as a LitBuy replacement?
- Not while the search intent remains LitBuy-specific. Other resources belong to different brand queries and should be presented as separate alternatives, not substituted into the same row.
- When should I start fresh research?
- Restart from the live LitBuy resource when the old page is removed, irrelevant, or no longer provides enough current evidence to support the saved row.
- Should the old note be deleted after a new page is found?
- Preserve the old note as history and append the observed state, date, final URL, and reason for the new action. This keeps the change auditable.
How to leave a useful recheck record
- What is the minimum useful record?
- Include the old reference, final destination or error, classification, visible evidence, check date, and next action. These fields explain both what happened and what remains uncertain.
- How often should a temporary failure be retried?
- This guide does not impose a universal interval. Choose a practical later check, record it as the next action, and avoid repeated rapid requests that add no new evidence.
- Does this FAQ confirm current inventory or pricing?
- No. It explains link-review decisions only. Current listings, prices, stock, images, and terms must be verified on the live destination.
Audit-ready note
A compact record is better than an unsupported conclusion
A reviewer should be able to reproduce the decision from the saved evidence. The record does not need to be long, but it should identify the old reference, the current observation, the classification, and the next action without hiding uncertainty.
- Old URL or row reference and intended context.
- Final URL after redirects, or the exact observable failure state.
- Current title, selection text, or other evidence used for comparison.
- Check date and time when a failure may be temporary.
- Decision: keep, revise, retry, archive, or research again.
- Uncertainty that still prevents a safe replacement.
Keep the old reference and the new evidence
A recovery note should explain what changed, what was observed, and why the next action is supportable.