A soft 404 error is a specific type of issue that occurs when a web page appears to be missing or broken to users, but the server incorrectly reports that the page is functioning properly. Instead of returning a standard “404 Not Found” status code, it returns a “200 OK” status code. 
Here’s a breakdown:
  • Standard 404 Error: When a page is truly missing, the server sends a 404 status code, indicating that the page doesn’t exist and should not be indexed by search engines.
  • Soft 404 Error: The page appears to be “not found” or “out of stock” to users, but the server returns a 200 OK status code. This signals to search engines that the page is valid and can be crawled and potentially indexed. 
Why are soft 404 errors problematic?
  • Confuse Search Engines: Soft 404s send mixed signals to search engines, leading to potential indexing issues and wasted crawl budget. Google might spend time crawling and processing these low-value pages instead of discovering valuable content on your site.
  • Poor User Experience: Users who land on soft 404 pages may find the content irrelevant or non-existent, leading to frustration and increased bounce rates. This can negatively impact your site’s SEO and potentially deter users from returning.
  • Wasted Resources: Search engines waste time crawling and indexing these unproductive pages, which can affect your site’s overall crawl efficiency and indexing process. 
Common causes of soft 404 errors include:
  • Thin or low-quality content: Pages with very little or irrelevant content can be flagged as soft 404s.
  • Incorrect redirects: Redirecting deleted pages to irrelevant content or the homepage can confuse search engines.
  • Server misconfigurations: Your server might be incorrectly configured to return a 200 OK status for missing pages.
  • Empty search results pages or category pages: If your website’s search or category pages return “no results found” but still give a 200 status code, they can be interpreted as soft 404s. 
How to find and fix soft 404 errors:
  • Google Search Console: Use the Coverage report to identify pages flagged as “Submitted URL seems to be a Soft 404”.
  • Improve content: If a page is flagged due to thin content, add more valuable and relevant information to it.
  • Set up proper redirects: Use 301 redirects for permanently moved pages, directing users to the correct URL.
  • Configure server response codes: Ensure your server returns a proper 404 or 410 status code for missing pages.
  • De-index unwanted pages: If a page isn’t intended for indexing, use the ‘noindex’ directive to prevent search engines from crawling and indexing it.
  • Regularly audit your website: Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify soft 404 errors and address them promptly.