{"id":188418,"date":"2023-06-03T18:34:08","date_gmt":"2023-06-03T23:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?page_id=188418"},"modified":"2025-06-03T18:50:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T23:50:43","slug":"what-is-soft-404","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-soft-404\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Soft 404 and what causes them?"},"content":{"rendered":"
A <\/span>soft 404 error<\/span><\/b> is a specific type of issue that occurs when a web page <\/span>appears<\/span><\/em> to be missing or broken to users, but the server incorrectly reports that the page is functioning properly. Instead of returning a standard \u201c404 Not Found\u201d status code, it returns a \u201c200 OK\u201d status code.<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Here\u2019s a breakdown:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
    \n
  • Standard 404 Error:<\/span><\/b> When a page is truly missing, the server sends a 404 status code, indicating that the page doesn\u2019t exist and should not be indexed by search engines.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Soft 404 Error:<\/span><\/b> The page appears to be \u201cnot found\u201d or \u201cout of stock\u201d 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.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    Why are soft 404 errors problematic?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
      \n
    • Confuse Search Engines:<\/span><\/b> 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.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Poor User Experience:<\/span><\/b> 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\u2019s SEO and potentially deter users from returning.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Wasted Resources:<\/span><\/b> Search engines waste time crawling and indexing these unproductive pages, which can affect your site\u2019s overall crawl efficiency and indexing process.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      Common causes of soft 404 errors include:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
        \n
      • Thin or low-quality content:<\/span><\/b> Pages with very little or irrelevant content can be flagged as soft 404s.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Incorrect redirects:<\/span><\/b> Redirecting deleted pages to irrelevant content or the homepage can confuse search engines.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Server misconfigurations:<\/span><\/b> Your server might be incorrectly configured to return a 200 OK status for missing pages.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Empty search results pages or category pages:<\/span><\/b> If your website\u2019s search or category pages return \u201cno results found\u201d but still give a 200 status code, they can be interpreted as soft 404s.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        How to find and fix soft 404 errors:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
          \n
        • Google Search Console:<\/span><\/b> Use the Coverage report to identify pages flagged as \u201cSubmitted URL seems to be a Soft 404\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Improve content:<\/span><\/b> If a page is flagged due to thin content, add more valuable and relevant information to it.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Set up proper redirects:<\/span><\/b> Use 301 redirects for permanently moved pages, directing users to the correct URL.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Configure server response codes:<\/span><\/b> Ensure your server returns a proper 404 or 410 status code for missing pages.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • De-index unwanted pages:<\/span><\/b> If a page isn\u2019t intended for indexing, use the \u2018noindex\u2019 directive to prevent search engines from crawling and indexing it.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Regularly audit your website:<\/span><\/b> Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify soft 404 errors and address them promptly.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          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 \u201c404 Not Found\u201d status\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

          Read more \u203a<\/div>\n

          <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":150,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"coauthors":[377],"class_list":["post-188418","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is a Soft 404 and what causes them?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-soft-404\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is a Soft 404 and what causes them?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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