A 404 error (Not Found) occurs when a requested page no longer exists or the URL is incorrect. While some 404s are harmless, excessive or mismanaged 404 errors can negatively impact user experience, SEO, and website authority.
Understanding the four types of 404 errors and whether you should redirect a URL that returns a 404 is essential for maintaining a healthy website.
The 4 Types of 404 Errors and How to Handle Them
1. Hard 404 Errors (Valid 404s)
✅ Best Use: When a page is permanently gone and there’s no relevant replacement.
These are properly configured 404 errors where the server correctly returns an HTTP 404 Not Found response.
💡 Example:
- A discontinued product page (
example.com/old-product) - An outdated blog post that no longer exists
How to Handle Hard 404s?
- ✅ Do NOT redirect unless there’s a relevant alternative page.
- ✅ Ensure a custom 404 page with navigation links to guide users.
- ✅ Regularly audit your site using Google Search Console → Indexing → Pages → Not Found (404).
2. Soft 404 Errors (Bad 404s)
⚠️ Best Use: Avoid them! They confuse search engines and should be fixed.
A Soft 404 happens when a page is missing, but instead of returning a proper 404 status, the server returns 200 OK (which tells search engines the page is valid).
💡 Example:
- A deleted page that now redirects to a blank or irrelevant page
- A missing page that still loads with a generic “Sorry, this page is missing” message but returns
200 OK
How to Fix Soft 404s?
- ✅ Ensure the server correctly returns 404 Not Found for missing pages.
- ✅ If the page should not be indexed, add a meta noindex tag.
- ✅ If a replacement page exists, use a 301 redirect instead of returning a soft 404.
3. 404 Errors Due to Broken Internal Links
⚠️ Best Use: Fix the links or redirect to a relevant page.
These occur when internal site links point to non-existent URLs, leading to unnecessary 404s.
💡 Example:
- A blog post linking to an old article that was deleted.
- A navigation menu pointing to a removed category.
How to Fix Broken Internal Links?
- ✅ Use a site audit tool like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to find broken links.
- ✅ Update or remove broken links.
- ✅ If the page no longer exists, consider redirecting to a similar page.
4. External 404 Errors (From Other Websites Linking to a Missing Page)
⚠️ Best Use: Redirect if possible or reclaim lost backlinks.
External websites may link to a page that no longer exists, leading to lost SEO value.
💡 Example:
- Another website links to an outdated page that was deleted.
- A removed landing page that had backlinks from multiple sources.
How to Fix External 404 Errors?
- ✅ Use Google Search Console → Links report to identify broken backlinks.
- ✅ Set up 301 redirects if a relevant alternative page exists.
- ✅ Contact the linking website and ask them to update their link.
Should You Redirect a URL That Returns 404?
✅ YES, Redirect If:
- There is a closely related page to send users to.
- The page had valuable backlinks or traffic (to preserve SEO value).
- It was a high-ranking page in search results before deletion.
🔹 Example of a 301 Redirect for a Relevant Page Change
apacheCopyEditRedirect 301 /old-product https://example.com/new-product
❌ NO, Do NOT Redirect If:
- The deleted page has no relevant alternative.
- Redirecting would create a poor user experience (e.g., redirecting all 404s to the homepage).
- The page was never valuable or indexed.
🔹 Example of a Proper 404 for an Irrelevant Page
apacheCopyEditRewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule . - [R=404,L]
Key Takeaways
✅ Use hard 404s when a page is permanently gone with no replacement.
✅ Avoid soft 404s by ensuring proper 404 or 301 responses.
✅ Fix broken internal links to improve site navigation.
✅ Handle external 404s by redirecting or requesting link updates.
✅ Redirect only when it enhances user experience and SEO value.
