What is a 404 Page?

A 404 page is the error message that appears when a visitor requests a URL that does not exist (anymore). The 404 status code means “not found”. A well designed 404 page catches that visitor and helps them on their way, instead of letting them leave after hitting a dead end.

Why do 404 errors happen?

404s are caused by deleted pages, changed URLs without a redirect or typos in links. An occasional 404 is normal, but lots of broken links hurt the user experience and can waste crawl budget.

Creating a good 404 page

Show a friendly message, your navigation and a search function, and point to popular pages or the homepage. That way you keep the visitor on your site. Important: a real 404 page must also return the 404 status code.

404 versus redirect

If a page has moved permanently, use a 301 redirect to the new URL instead of letting visitors land on a 404. If there is no relevant replacement, a 404 (or 410) is exactly right.

Are 404 errors bad for SEO?

A few are normal and not a problem. Lots of 404s on important pages are; fix them with redirects or by restoring the page.

How do I find 404s on my site?

Through Google Search Console and with crawl tools that track down broken links.