Method and apparatus for redirection of server external hyper-link references

A method of operating a Web server comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving a predetermined service request wherein said predetermined service request may include a redirection directive and redirection URL;
• b) determining whether said predetermined service request includes said redirection directive;
• and
• c) serving a redirection response message, including said redirection URL, where said predetermined service request includes said redirection directive.

A server system providing for the serving of data pages, including page elements, in response to hypertext protocol requests received from a network, said server system including a processor for executing a server application to implement a server process comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving a predetermined request from said network, wherein said predetermined request corresponds to a predetermined page element, and wherein said predetermined request includes predetermined request data;
• b) processing said predetermined request data to obtain an identification of said predetermined page element;
• c) preparing a predetermined redirection message corresponding to said identification;
• and
• d) issuing said predetermined redirection message to said network.

A process providing for the collecting information regarding the selection of hyper-text URLs in Web pages served over a network to a client system from a server system, said process comprising the steps of:

• a) serving a Web page, including a predetermined embedded URL, from a first predetermined server system to a client system, wherein said predetermined embedded URL includes predetermined identification data;
• b) receiving by said first predetermined server system a predetermined message from said client system in response to the selection of said predetermined URL, said predetermined message including said predetermined identification data;
• c) recording by said first predetermined server system said predetermined identification data;
• and
• d) issuing by said first predetermined server system a temporary redirection message to said client system identifying a second predetermined server system.

A process permitting the accounting by a server system of hyper-text selection of Web page elements by client systems, said process comprising the steps of:

• a) identifying a Web page element with a first predetermined server system so that the identification is visually effective to a user of a predetermined client system;
• b) providing a redirection URL as an embedded URL included with said Web page element, said redirection URL including a server URL and data, said direct server URL specifying a second predetermined server system, said data including an identification of said Web page element and a reference to said first predetermined server system;
• and
• c) serving a Web page including said Web page element to said predetermined client system, whereby hyper-text selection of said Web page element will provide said data to said second predetermined server system.

A process for providing notification of the selection of a hyper-link reference to a first server system in response to selection of a Web page element by a client system where the Web page element corresponds to a second server system, said process comprising the steps of:

• a) providing for said hyper-link reference to include a direct server URL reference to said first server system, a redirection directive, and an identification of a second server system, wherein said client system utilizes said direct server URL to provide said redirection directive and said identification to said first server system;
• b) processing said redirection directive and said identification to prepare a redirection message including a redirect server URL;
• and
• c) providing said redirection message to said client system.

A process of providing advertisement selection information to a web server in response to client selections of advertisements provided in web pages, said process comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an embedded URL in a web page coupled to an advertisement selectable by a client, said advertisement having a correspondence with a first server and said embedded URL including a URL corresponding to a second server and data including an identification of said first server;
• b) providing a redirection message including a redirection URL corresponding to said first server where said redirection message is prepared by said second server based on said identification of said first server;
• and
• c) recording advertisement selection information derived from said data.