What Is a 404 Error? Not Found, and When That Is Correct
DICTIONARY · SEO

What Is a 404 Error?

A 404 is the status code meaning the requested page does not exist.

In plain English

A 404 is not automatically a problem. If a page genuinely should not exist, 404 is the correct and honest answer, and search engines handle it fine.

The problems are 404s on URLs that people and links still point at, and soft 404s, where a page says not found while returning a success code, so search engines keep it in the index.

What to know

Correct use
The page does not exist and has no equivalent.
When to redirect instead
The page moved, or an equivalent exists, or external links point at it.
Soft 404s
A not-found message served with a 200 status. Search Console flags these.
Custom page
Should offer navigation and search rather than a dead end.

Why it matters

Trying to eliminate every 404 is wasted effort. What matters is fixing the ones that break internal links or waste inbound links, and making sure your not-found pages actually return 404.

Common mistakes

×Redirecting all 404s to the homepage.
×Serving a not-found page with a 200 status code.
×Ignoring 404s that internal links are causing.
×A custom 404 page with no navigation.

FAQs

Do 404s hurt SEO?

Not in themselves. Losing inbound links to them does.

Should every 404 be redirected?

Only where a genuinely equivalent page exists.

WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM
Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.

I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.

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