Options

  • Ignore server error codes
    Enable this option if a misconfigured server permanently sends an error code for an existing page, for example "404 file not found".

  • Do not display redirection warnings
    If you monitor a page that redirects to another address, WebSite-Watcher always shows "redirection" in the status column. With this option, you can suppress this status message.

  • Ignore message "Whole content filtered"
    If a check displays the status message "Warning: whole content filtered (please verify your filter settings)", either the page content is empty or your defined filters remove the entire page content, and WebSite-Watcher cannot detect updates. In this case, WebSite-Watcher reports an "Update" so that you are aware of a potential configuration problem and can review the bookmark settings. If you enable this option, WebSite-Watcher does not report an update in this situation. Use this option with caution, because WebSite-Watcher cannot detect updates when no content is available.

Checking Method and file type

  • Checking method
    WebSite-Watcher supports several checking methods to monitor a page. The default method is "Automatic", which allows WebSite-Watcher to select the most suitable method automatically, or, depending on the page type, a combination of methods. Only in special cases should you manually select a different checking method.
    • Automatic - Depending on the page type, this method automatically decides which method should be used to check a page. It may also use a combination of the available methods.
    • by content - This method downloads the entire page and compares the filtered content of the new version with the filtered content of the old version. If differences are found, WebSite-Watcher reports an update.
    • by file date - This method uses the file date of a page to detect updates. It depends on the page type whether the server provides this date. This method is typically used for binary files.
    • by file size - This method works similarly to the "by file date" method and uses the file size reported by the server. This method should only be used for binary files.

  • File type
    If WebSite-Watcher cannot detect the file type automatically, you must select the correct file type manually. For example, if WebSite-Watcher cannot identify an RSS feed, you must select the file type "rss". One possible reason is that the server incorrectly identifies an RSS feed as a binary file.

  • Character set
    By default, WebSite-Watcher determines the character set of a page automatically. If neither the page nor the server log contains information about the character set, WebSite-Watcher cannot display the page correctly, and you must select the correct code page manually. See chapter A web page contains only cryptic characters for more information.

Alternative Proxy

If you want to use a separate Proxy to check a bookmark, you can select a configured Proxy from the list. See also chapter Proxy. This setting is only used for the internal checking method. The check technologies "Chromium", "Edge" and "Internet Explorer" always use the proxy configuration of your system.