# 404 only when link\_to\_remote but not when using link\_to

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/404-only-when-link-to-remote-but-not-when-using-link-to/133720>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 2, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/404-only-when-link-to-remote-but-not-when-using-link-to/133720 "2008-04-02T23:20:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chengas123](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/8edcca/32.png) [@chengas123](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chengas123)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/404-only-when-link-to-remote-but-not-when-using-link-to/133720/1 "2008-04-02T23:20:40Z")

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I started using Ruby on Rails today and love it.  
The one thing I haven’t been able to answer by myself is why the first  
link below works and the second doesn’t:  
\<%= link\_to “Test Regular”, { :action =\> “show”, :id =\> “1” } %\>  
\<%= link\_to\_remote “Test Ajax”, :update =\> “listing”, :url =\>  
{ :action =\> “show”, :id =\> “1”} %\>

I am trying to load the html at [http://localhost:3000/listings/1](http://localhost:3000/listings/1) into  
a div on my page with the id listing. That URL works when accessed  
directly or via link\_to. However, when I click on the “Test Ajax”  
link then the following text loads in my listing div: “Unknown action:  
No action responded to 1”. What really puzzles me is that I even see  
in FireBug that the when I click on the “Test Ajax” link that a  
request is issued to the correct URL: [http://localhost:3000/listings/1](http://localhost:3000/listings/1)

The source generated by Rails is:  
\<a href=“#” onclick="new Ajax.Updater(‘listing’, ‘/listings/1’,  
{asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, parameters:‘authenticity\_token=’

- encodeURIComponent(‘fda1badbcc7be1ff0d55829e684ecbe00579a97b’)});  
return false;"\>Test Ajax  
[Test Regular](https://www.ruby-forum.com/listings/1)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chengas123](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/8edcca/32.png) [@chengas123](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chengas123)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/404-only-when-link-to-remote-but-not-when-using-link-to/133720/2 "2008-04-03T18:12:19Z")

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Hey there,

I’m assuming you’re using the basic scaffold code, which uses RESTful  
routing, or are making an app with RESTful routes.

Without arguments, the AJAX call you are firing is sending a POST  
request to the server to the URL /listings/1. As there is no RESTful  
action/id which will respond to a POST of listings/1, your URL is  
falling through the map.resources RESTful routing, and is ending up  
caught by the default non-REST routes at the bottom of routes.rb which  
is correctly(?) interpreting your /listings/1 as :controller =\>  
‘listings’, :action \> ‘1’.

The secret to getting this to work is to include :method =\> :get in  
your list of arguments to link\_to\_remote. That will send the AJAX  
request as a GET, and allow the URL to be caught by the RESTful  
map.resources method.

Incidentally, this stands for periodically\_call\_remote as it uses the  
same syntax.

Hope this helps,

Simon Tokumine

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chengas123](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/8edcca/32.png) [@chengas123](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chengas123)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/404-only-when-link-to-remote-but-not-when-using-link-to/133720/3 "2008-04-03T21:32:21Z")

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Ah, right because a POST will be meant for creates. That makes sense  
now. I hadn’t considered the link\_to\_remote request would be a POST  
nor that a POST would cause problems.  
Thanks so much for helping us noobs out Simon.

-Ben  
[benmccann.com](http://benmccann.com)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chengas123](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/8edcca/32.png) [@chengas123](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chengas123)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/404-only-when-link-to-remote-but-not-when-using-link-to/133720/4 "2008-04-04T01:07:37Z")

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No worries Ben - This one bit me too 🙂

FYI, you can check out what sets of HTTP verbs and URL input will  
trigger what controller/action by running ‘rake routes’ in your rails  
app directory. If you get more routing ‘huh?!’ moments (and a  
supposedly RESTful route falling through to the default non-REST  
routes is a good example), then compare the output from rake routes to  
what your development.log is telling you your browser is submitting.  
You’ll usually find the culprit there.

All the best,

Simon