The 410 Gone is an HTTP status code returned by the web server when the client (a browser or a web crawler) requests a resource that is no longer available at the requested address. It is one of the so-called “client errors,” meaning that the error is on the client side, not on the server.
Unlike the 404 Not Found response code that can be shown for non-existing or mistyped URLs, the 410 code indicates that the resource was in use but is no longer available and will not be available again at the requested address.
For website visitors, the 410 error means that the webpage was deleted and, generally, is no different from the 404 error.
For search engines, the 410 status code is more unambiguous than the 404 response because the 404 error can be temporary. Google, for example, can wait around 24 hours before removing a 404 page from the index, while 410 pages can be removed instantly after crawling.
Should you use a 404 or 410 for deleted pages on your website?
Here’s what Matt Cutts from Google said in one of the webmaster help videos:
If a page is gone and you think it’s temporary, go ahead and use a 404. If the page is gone and you know no other page that should substitute for it, you don’t have anywhere else that you should point to, and you know that that page is going to be gone and never come back, then go ahead and serve a 410.
Here’s what Matt Cutts from Google said in one of the webmaster help videos:
If a page is gone and you think it’s temporary, go ahead and use a 404. If the page is gone and you know no other page that should substitute for it, you don’t have anywhere else that you should point to, and you know that that page is going to be gone and never come back, then go ahead and serve a 410.