URL rescue by execution of search using information extracted from invalid URL

Non-transitory computer storage having stored thereon executable program code that directs a server system of a hosting site to implement a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) rescue process for responding to a resource request received by the server system from a user device, said URL rescue process comprising:

• receiving, by the server system, the resource request from the user device, the resource request specifying a URL that comprises (1) an address of the hosting site, and (2) a character string referencing a content location;
• determining that the URL specified in the resource request is invalid by determining that the character string does not reference a valid content location of the hosting site;
• in response to determining that the URL is invalid, attempting, as a first URL rescue strategy, to repair the invalid URL through URL modification;
• determining that the attempt to repair the invalid URL through URL modification is unsuccessful;
• and
• attempting an alternate URL rescue strategy that does not repair the invalid URL, said alternate URL rescue strategy comprising:
• extracting from the invalid URL a set of one or more search terms for executing one or more searches of content of the hosting site, wherein extracting the set of one or more search terms comprises using delimiters in the invalid URL to identify a substring of the invalid URL, and comparing the substring to entries in a selection list to determine whether to use the substring as a search term, said extracting resulting in a selection of less than all text of said character string for use in executing the one or more searches;
• executing one or more searches of content of the hosting site using the one or more extracted search terms, wherein executing the one or more searches comprises applying the one or more search terms to an index of the content of the hosting site;
• incorporating results of the one or more searches into a page;
• and
• returning the page to the user device in response to the resource request.

A server system comprising one or more computing devices, said server system programmed to respond to a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) request from a user device by a process that comprises:

• identifying a URL specified by the URL request, said URL including an address of a hosting site and including a character string referencing a content location;
• determining that the URL specified in the URL request is invalid by determining that the character string does not reference a valid content location of the hosting site;
• in response to determining that the URL is invalid, executing a URL rescue process that comprises a plurality of URL rescue strategies, including:
• a first URL rescue strategy that attempts to correct the invalid URL through URL modification, wherein the first URL rescue strategy attempts to modify the invalid URL to produce a valid URL that references a valid content location of the hosting site;
• and
• a second URL rescue strategy that comprises (i) extracting from the invalid URL a set of one or more search terms for executing one or more searches of content of the hosting site, wherein extracting the set of one or more search terms comprises using delimiters in the invalid URL to identify a substring of the invalid URL, and comparing the substring to entries in a selection list, said extracting resulting in a selection of less than all text of said character string for use in executing the one or more searches, (ii) executing the one or more searches of content of the hosting site using the one or more extracted search terms, wherein executing the one or more searches comprises applying the one or more search terms to an index of the content of the hosting site, and (iii) incorporating results of the one or more searches into a page to provide to the user device in response to the URL request.