404 Error
A 404 error is an HTTP response indicating that the requested resource could not be found at that URL.
404s are a normal part of the web and are not automatically an SEO problem.
What It Means in Practice
A 404 can occur when:
- A page was deleted
- A URL was typed incorrectly
- An internal link is broken
- An old external link points to content that no longer exists
- A website changes its URL structure
- A route never existed in the first place
The server communicates the missing resource using the 404 HTTP status code.
When a 404 Is a Problem
A 404 becomes important when users or crawlers are repeatedly being sent somewhere that should still work.
Examples include:
- Navigation links pointing to missing pages
- High-value pages removed without a relevant redirect
- Broken links repeated across templates
- XML sitemaps containing missing URLs
- Important external links leading to deleted content
By contrast, an old meaningless URL returning a genuine 404 can be completely appropriate.
What Is a Soft 404?
A soft 404 occurs when a page behaves like missing content but does not return the expected missing-page status.
For example, the page may display “Page not found” while the server returns a normal 200 response.
This creates conflicting information about whether the URL contains useful content.
Why It Matters
The goal is not to eliminate every 404 from a website.
The goal is to make sure valid content remains reachable and genuinely missing content communicates that state accurately.
How to Improve
Fix broken internal links.
When removed content has a clear replacement, redirect the old URL directly to the relevant new location.
When there is no useful replacement, returning a proper 404 can be the correct outcome.