Title: Broken Link Checker plugin HEAD Request Method filter problem detected
Last modified: August 21, 2016

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# Broken Link Checker plugin HEAD Request Method filter problem detected

 *  Resolved [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/)
 * I have added your code from here…
    [http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/](http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/)…
   and the “Broken Link Checker plugin HEAD Request Method filter problem detected”
   notice still appears. Is there something more I need to do in relation to that
   plugin or should I just dismiss the notice?
 * [http://wordpress.org/plugins/bulletproof-security/](http://wordpress.org/plugins/bulletproof-security/)

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 30 total)

1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/page/2/?output_format=md)
[→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/page/2/?output_format=md)

 *  Plugin Author [AITpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/aitpro/)
 * (@aitpro)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4129950)
 * If you are still seeing the Notice then you did not complete all of the Custom
   Code steps. The check is done by looking at 2 things:
    1. is the BLC plugin installed
   and activated 2. is the HEAD Request string in your root .htaccess file. If you
   have other non-BPS .htaccess code in your root .htaccess file and it matches 
   this pattern “HEAD|TRACE|DELETE|TRACK|DEBUG” then the notice will still be displayed.
 *     ```
       if ( $return_var == 1 && !strpos($check_string, "HEAD|TRACE|DELETE|TRACK|DEBUG") ) { // 1 equals active
       		return;
       	}
   
       	if ( $return_var == 1 && strpos($check_string, "HEAD|TRACE|DELETE|TRACK|DEBUG") ) {
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4129965)
 * I did a search and found all of this together where I had manually added the 
   new part:
 *     ```
       # REQUEST METHODS FILTERED
       RewriteEngine On
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} ^(HEAD|TRACE|DELETE|TRACK|DEBUG) [NC]
       RewriteRule ^(.*)$ - [F,L]
   
       ## The TRACE, DELETE, TRACK and DEBUG request methods should never be allowed against your website.
       # ref http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/
       RewriteEngine On
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} ^(TRACE|DELETE|TRACK|DEBUG) [NC]
       RewriteRule ^(.*)$ - [F,L]
       ```
   
 * If you might get me straightened out here, I will let BPS do that from now on!
 *  Plugin Author [AITpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/aitpro/)
 * (@aitpro)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4129972)
 * Yep it is simpler to just let Custom Code handle this. So add your Custom Code
   to the correct Custom Code text box, click the Save Root Custom Code button, 
   go to the Security Modes page, click the Create secure.htaccess File AutoMagic
   button and activate Root Folder BulletProof Mode again.
 * [http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/](http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/)
 *  Thread Starter [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4129976)
 * Now that I understand exactly which button does what and where and how and all
   of that, I will begin at the very beginning and let BPS do it all from “square
   one”!
 * Many thanks.
 *  Thread Starter [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4129989)
 * Okay, so I am at this part:
 * “CUSTOM CODE REQUEST METHODS FILTERED: Whitelist User Agents or remove HEAD here
   
   You MUST copy and paste the entire REQUEST METHODS FILTERED section of code from
   your root .htaccess file into this text box first…”
 * I know how to do that, but then what do I do here?
 * “You can then edit and modify the code in this text window and save your changes.”
 * Do I replace the previous with this?
    [http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/](http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/)
 *  Plugin Author [AITpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/aitpro/)
 * (@aitpro)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130006)
 * In this particular case the “edits” to the code have already been done. You are
   just copying and pasting that edited code that we already created here: [http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/](http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-403-error/)
   into the Custom Code text box and doing the rest of the Custom Code steps. Whatever
   you save to a Custom Code text box is that code that will be written to your 
   root .htaccess file so whatever code you want in your root .htaccess file is 
   the code you will be saving to Custom Code.
 *  Thread Starter [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130009)
 * > Whatever you save to a Custom Code text box is that code that will be written
   > to your root .htaccess file so whatever code you want in your root .htaccess
   > file is the code you will be saving to Custom Code.
 * Yes, and it has all worked perfectly just like that.
 * Many thanks.
 * I have some additional questions about how htaccess works at my sites while I
   am doing a manual WordPress upgrade, and I will summarize all of that so you 
   can take a look and see what you think might be going on. I am putting up an 
   HTML “Maintenance Mode” page, and something somewhere is acting differently at
   one BlueHost account and another where each has the primary domain in a sub-folder
   and one account has two additional sub-domains.
 *  Plugin Author [AITpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/aitpro/)
 * (@aitpro)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130011)
 * Ok will answer those questions on Monday. We are officially closed as of 3 minutes
   ago. have a good one!
 *  Thread Starter [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130176)
 * Okay, here is what I have:
 * >  ### Server Account A
   >  public_html/.htaccess (pointing *only* to primary.domain)
   > >> primarydomain/.htaccess (full BPS file) for [http://primary.domain/](http://primary.domain/)
   > >>>> /index.html (for Maintenance Mode) >> add-on1domain/.htaccess (full BPS
   > file) for [http://add-on1.domain/](http://add-on1.domain/) >>>> /index.html(
   > for Maintenance Mode) >> add-on2domain/.htaccess (full BPS file) for [http://add-on2.domain/](http://add-on2.domain/)
   > >>>> /index.html (for Maintenance Mode) ###
   > ### Server Account B
   >  public_html/.htaccess (pointing to primary.domain) >>
   > primarydomain/.htaccess (full BPS file) for [http://primary.domain/](http://primary.domain/)
   > >>>> /wp-maintenance/index.html (for Maintenance Mode) >> add-on1domain (not
   > currently in use) ###
 * To individually put an add-onX.domain in Maintenance Mode, I disable (rename)
   its own folder’s index.php file for the duration.
 * To put Server Account A primary.domain in Maintenance Mode, I switch the following
   lines in Server Account A’s public_html/.htaccess:
 *     ```
       ## this next line is for Normal Mode
       #RewriteRule ^(/)?$ primarydomain/index.php [L]
       ## this next line is for Maintenance Mode
       RewriteRule ^(/)?$ primarydomain/index.html [L]
       ```
   
 * But to put Server Account B primary.domain in Maintenance Mode, I have to copy
   index.html into the primarydomain folder since I cannot just leave it there all
   the time like I can at Server Account A.
 * The only thing that is different between public_html/.htaccess at Server Account
   A and Server Account B is that Server Account B’s public_html/.htaccess file 
   does *not* include this line:
 * `AddHandler application/x-httpd-php53s .php`
 * Question: Is that why I cannot leave the “Maintenance Mode” index.html file in
   Server Account B’s primarydomain folder all the time like I can at Server Account
   A?
 *  Plugin Author [AITpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/aitpro/)
 * (@aitpro)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130177)
 * We have found a much simpler method to put a site in Maintenance Mode. This new
   method will be added to a later version of BPS. To manually use this method see
   this Forum link below.
 * [http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/maintenance-mode-in-gwiod-website/#post-8506](http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/maintenance-mode-in-gwiod-website/#post-8506)
 *  Thread Starter [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130179)
 * That would not work for me since `/wordpress/wp-blog-header.php` would not even
   exist during a manual upgrade.
 *  Plugin Author [AITpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/aitpro/)
 * (@aitpro)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130180)
 * Yes, you are correct. If you are doing a manual upgrade then there would be nothing
   to put in maintenance mode.
 *  Plugin Author [AITpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/aitpro/)
 * (@aitpro)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130181)
 * Also some basic info about index files. A Server will automatically look for 
   an index file by default and load it if it exists. Either index.php, index.html
   or index.htm.
 *  Plugin Author [AITpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/aitpro/)
 * (@aitpro)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130182)
 * If you use another naming convention other than index.xxx then you can create.
   htaccess code to turn this file on or off without the Server automatically loading
   the file.
 * Example: maintenance.php or maintenance.html
 *  Thread Starter [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/#post-4130183)
 * > A Server will automatically look for an index file by default and load it if
   > it exists. Either index.php, index.html or index.htm.
 * If my Server Account A and Server Account B acted the same way, I would make 
   use of that. But as things are, one acts differently than the other.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 30 total)

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## Tags

 * [checker](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/checker/)
 * [link](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/link/)

 * 30 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/broken-link-checker-plugin-head-request-method-filter-problem-detected/page/2/#post-4130235)
 * Status: resolved