For database-driven or dynamic sites such as online stores using PrestaShop, the easiest way to pass information between pages is with a query string, which is a string of information tacked onto the end of a URL after a question mark (?).
Unfortunately, most search engines (with a few exceptions, notably Google) will not index any pages that have a question mark or other character such as an ampersand (&) or an equals sign (=) in the URL.
This is why PrestaShop allows the use of URLs that are ‘friendly’ for search-engine searches.
To activate Friendly URLs:
- Go to Back Office >> Preferences. By the “Friendly URL” field, select Yes to enable, then click Save.
- Go to Back Office >> Catalog >> (Category, if applicable >>) product page
- On the Information tab, click Click here to improve product’s rank in search engines (SEO).
- In the Friendly URL, type the URL you want to use.
- Scroll down and click Save product properties.
For some hosting services such as Dreamhost, by default the option to “open external URLs” is off or disallowed.
From php.net
If PHP has decided that filename specifies a registered protocol, and that protocol is registered as a network URL, PHP will check to make sure that allow_url_fopen is enabled. If it is switched off, PHP will emit a warning and the fopen call will fail.
Check to make sure that “allow_url_fopen” is activated on your server.
For users of Dreamhost (and perhaps other hosting servers):
- In your PrestaShop directory on your hosting server, search for the file /install/xml/checkConfig.php and rename it (for example,
checkConfig_old.php). - Download the file “checkConfig.php” here and place it in the same folder: /install/xml/
- Test it to make sure it works.