SEO 404 Page Best Practices
A 404 page is shown when a requested URL does not exist; a well-built one helps users recover without harming SEO.
- Also called
- Custom error page
- Applies to
- Technical SEO, user experience
- Commonly confused with
- Soft 404, 301 redirect
Key points
- Serve a correct 404 HTTP status code, not a 200.
- Use 301 redirects for moved content, not blanket homepage redirects.
- Include site search and navigation links to help users recover.
- Monitor broken URLs in Google Search Console to fix recurring issues.
- Leave genuinely gone content as a real 404 or 410.
What it is not
- A 404 page is not a page that should return a 200 status code. The correct response is a 404 Not Found.
- A 404 page is not a way to redirect users to the homepage for every missing URL. Google's seo best practices advise against blanket redirects; instead, send users to the most relevant destination or let the page 404.
- A 404 page is not a sign of poor site health when handled correctly. Occasional 404s are normal; the issue is incorrect server responses.
- A 404 page is not a place for technical jargon. Clear, plain-language messaging helps users understand what happened.
Common mistakes
- Returning a 200 status code on a missing page. This creates a soft 404, wasting crawl budget and confusing users. Poor 404 seo handling can degrade site performance.
- Redirecting every missing URL to the homepage. This frustrates users who cannot find the original content and may be seen as a poor user experience signal.
- Leaving broken internal links unfixed. This leads to unnecessary 404s and degrades site navigation. Understanding what is a sitemap can help, but the primary tool for monitoring is Search Console.
- Using 404 status for temporary outages. The correct code is 503, which tells search engines the issue is temporary.
Questions people ask
Are 404 errors bad for SEO?
404 errors are not inherently bad for SEO if handled correctly. The key is that the server returns a true 404 status code and that the page is not a soft 404. Occasional 404s are normal, but a high volume of broken links or incorrect status codes can waste crawl budget and harm user experience.
404 page best practices?
Best practices for 404 pages include serving a real 404 status code, providing clear plain-language messaging, adding site search, and including navigation links to popular sections. Avoid redirecting all missing pages to the homepage. Monitor 404s in Google Search Console to fix recurring issues.
What to do with 404 pages?
For pages that return 404, first check if the content has moved. If so, implement a 301 redirect to the most relevant URL. If the content is gone with no equivalent, leave the page as a real 404 or use a 410 Gone. Ensure the server returns the correct status code. Fix any internal links that point to the missing URL.
Sources
- Google Search Central / Google guidance on redirects and not-found handling Most authoritative source for how Google expects missing pages, redirects, and status codes to be handled.
- Google Search Central YouTube channel Official Google explanations on 404s, redirects, and when to keep or remove missing pages.
- Google Search Console Help Useful for monitoring crawl errors and diagnosing 404 issues in practice.
- Moz Learn SEO Well-known SEO reference that reinforces correct status codes and temporary vs permanent handling.
Written and maintained by Nora Lindholm. Last updated 27 July 2026.
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