404 error: page not found explained

You've probably seen it before: you click a link and get a message "404 Not Found" or "Page not found". This is one of the most common HTTP errors on the internet. But what does it mean exactly, why does it happen, and what can you do about it? In this article we dive deep into the 404 error.

What is a 404 error?

A 404 error is an HTTP status code indicating the server cannot find the requested page. The number "404" is the official code servers use to communicate: "I've looked, but this page doesn't exist at this location."

Important to know: a 404 error does NOT mean your server is offline or something is wrong with your website. It only means the specific URL being requested doesn't exist. The server works fine, but the requested resource simply isn't there.

Common causes of 404 errors

There are various reasons why you might get a 404 error:

Deleted pages: The most obvious reason. The page once existed, but was deleted without redirect. Old backlinks and bookmarks still point to the old URL.

Mistyped URL: A simple typo in the URL leads to a 404. For example yourdomain.com/blog instead of yourdomain.com/blogs (with s).

Moved content: The page still exists, but moved to a new URL without a redirect being set.

Broken internal links: Links on your own website pointing to non-existent pages, often due to errors when building the site.

Outdated backlinks: Other websites link to pages that no longer exist. This is often the result of old content on other sites.

CMS permalink changes: You've adjusted your WordPress site's URL structure without setting up redirects.

Case sensitivity: Some servers are case-sensitive. /Blog and /blog can be seen as different URLs.

Impact of 404 errors on SEO

404 errors are frustrating for users, but how bad are they for SEO?

Google has officially confirmed that 404 errors by themselves have NO negative impact on your rankings. It's completely normal for websites to occasionally have 404 errors. Google understands pages sometimes disappear.

But there are indirect negative effects:

Poor user experience: If visitors constantly encounter 404 errors, they leave your site frustrated. A high bounce rate can indirectly affect your rankings.

Wasted crawl budget: Google has a limited number of pages it crawls per day on your site. If Google wastes a lot of time crawling non-existent pages, it has less time for your real content.

Lost link juice: If a page with valuable backlinks gives a 404 error, your site doesn't benefit from that link juice. You lose SEO value.

Reduced trust: A site full of 404 errors looks unprofessional and poorly maintained. This can damage visitor and Google trust.

The main lesson: a handful of 404 errors is no problem. But hundreds of 404 errors, especially on important pages with lots of traffic or backlinks, you need to address.

How do you find 404 errors on your website?

You can't fix what you don't know exists. Here's how to find 404 errors:

Google Search Console: This is your first stop. Go to Coverage Report and filter on "Not found (404)". You see all URLs Google has tried to crawl but gave a 404 error.

Server logs: Your hosting provider keeps logs of all requests to your server. Analyze these logs to see which 404 errors occur and how often.

SEO crawl tools: Tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs Site Audit and SEMrush can crawl your entire site and report all 404 errors, including internal links pointing to non-existent pages.

Google Analytics: Set up a custom alert for 404 pages. This shows you which non-existent URLs visitors try to reach.

WordPress plugins: Plugins like Redirection automatically monitor 404 errors and show you which URLs generate the most 404 errors.

Monitor your 404 errors regularly. A weekly check in Google Search Console is sufficient for most sites.

How do you fix 404 errors?

The solution depends on the situation:

301 redirect: If the page is moved or deleted but there's a good replacement, redirect to the most relevant page. This is the best solution for pages with backlinks or traffic.

Restore the page: If the page was accidentally deleted and there's still traffic or backlinks to it, consider restoring the page.

Fix internal links: If it's broken internal links, update the links on your own site to the correct URLs.

Custom 404 page: For URLs where there's no good redirect, provide a useful, friendly 404 page that helps visitors find what they're looking for.

Submit in Search Console: After fixing a 404 error with a redirect, validate the fix in Google Search Console so Google knows the problem is solved.

Not every 404 error needs to be fixed. If a non-existent page has no traffic, no backlinks and no internal links, you can just let the 404 error exist. Focus on the important errors.

Creating a good custom 404 page

A custom 404 page can turn a bad experience into a neutral or even positive one:

Clear messaging: Explain what happened in understandable language. "This page no longer exists" is better than a technical error message.

Search function: Give visitors the ability to search for what they actually wanted to find.

Popular pages: Show links to your most popular content or products. Maybe they'll find what they're looking for there.

Contact option: Offer a way to report a broken link, or ask for help.

Brand consistency: The 404 page should look like part of your site, not a generic server error.

A touch of personality: Humor or creativity can soften the frustration of a 404 error.

Famous examples of good 404 pages: GitHub (with Star Wars theme), Pixar (with characters), Mailchimp (with their mascot Freddie).

Soft 404 errors: a hidden problem

A soft 404 is a page showing a 404-like message ("Page not found") but technically returns a 200 (OK) status code. This confuses search engines.

Google detects soft 404s and reports them in Search Console. They can have negative SEO impact because Google doesn't know if the page is legitimate or not.

Ensure non-existent pages return a real 404 HTTP status code, not a 200 with a "not found" message. Do this by configuring your server or CMS correctly.

410 Gone vs 404 Not Found

There's also a 410 status code meaning "Gone - permanently removed". What's the difference?

404 Not Found: The page is not found. Maybe it exists, maybe not. It's unclear if this is temporary or permanent.

410 Gone: The page has existed but is permanently removed and will never return.

In practice, it makes little difference to Google. A 410 just gives a clearer signal. For most situations a 404 is sufficient. Only use a 410 if you want to explicitly indicate content is permanently removed.

Preventing 404 errors

Prevention is better than cure:

Test before going live: Check all links thoroughly before putting a new page or design update live.

Use redirects with changes: Changing your URL structure? Set up redirects immediately.

Monitor external backlinks: Track which external sites link to you. If you delete a page with many links, redirect it.

Permanent links: Choose SEO-friendly permalinks in WordPress and don't change them. Consistency prevents 404s.

Link rot checks: Run monthly scans with tools like Broken Link Checker to find broken links before visitors encounter them.

Document major changes: During major site migrations or restructures, document exactly which URLs change and create a redirect plan.

When are 404 errors acceptable?

Not all 404 errors are bad. These situations are acceptable:

Spam URLs: You get many 404s from bots trying random URLs. This is normal and not bad.

Old, irrelevant pages: Outdated content without backlinks or traffic can give 404 errors.

Deliberately removed content: If you remove content because it's no longer relevant and there's no good replacement, a 404 is okay.

Temporary offers: Sale pages or event pages that disappear afterwards can give 404 errors.

It's about important pages with traffic and backlinks not giving 404 errors. The long tail of irrelevant 404s isn't critical.

Frequently Asked Questions

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