A 404 error is an HTTP status code that means “page not found” — the server can’t locate the requested URL. When a user or search engine crawler tries to access a page that doesn’t exist (or has been deleted without a 301 redirect), the server returns a 404 error instead of the page content. For users, this usually means seeing a generic “Page Not Found” error page. For SEO, it means lost traffic, wasted link equity, and potential ranking drops if not handled properly.
I audit sites every week, and finding hundreds of 404 errors is depressingly common. Last month I found a client site with 340 broken internal links all pointing to deleted product pages. They’d been hemorrhaging link equity for months without realizing it. We fixed the links, implemented 301 redirects where appropriate, and saw a 22% increase in organic traffic within six weeks. 404 errors aren’t catastrophic on their own, but ignoring them is like driving with a slow tire leak — eventually, you’re stranded.
Why 404 Errors Matter for SEO in 2026
Google’s John Mueller has said repeatedly that 404 errors themselves don’t hurt your rankings. If you delete a page and let it 404, Google will eventually remove it from their index and move on. That’s expected behavior. The problem isn’t the 404 itself — it’s what the 404 represents: lost opportunities.
Here’s what happens when a page returns a 404:
- Lost traffic: If the page had organic rankings, that traffic is gone
- Wasted backlinks: Any backlinks pointing to the 404’d URL pass zero link equity — they’re dead ends
- Poor user experience: Visitors landing on a 404 page often leave immediately, increasing bounce rate
- Crawl budget waste: Search engines waste time crawling broken URLs instead of discovering new content
- Indexation issues: If Google keeps finding 404s, they may crawl your site less frequently
According to research from Ahrefs, the average website has 404 errors on 4-8% of internal links. For a site with 10,000 pages, that could mean 400-800 broken links. Each one is a leak in your link equity distribution and a potential dead end for users.
In 2026, with AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode crawling the web to train models and generate citations, 404 errors can hurt your discoverability in AI-generated answers. If an AI platform tries to access a URL that’s been referenced elsewhere and gets a 404, it might drop your site from its citation pool entirely. Clean URL hygiene matters for both traditional SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO).
How 404 Errors Work
When you request a URL, the server responds with an HTTP status code:
- 200: Success — the page exists and is being served
- 301: Permanent redirect — the page has moved to a new URL
- 302: Temporary redirect — the page has temporarily moved
- 404: Not found — the page doesn’t exist
- 410: Gone — the page has been permanently deleted and won’t return
- 500: Server error — something’s broken on the server side
A 404 error is generated when:
- You delete a page without setting up a redirect
- You change a URL slug without redirecting the old URL
- Someone types in a URL that never existed
- A link on your site or an external site points to a broken URL (typo, outdated link, etc.)
From Google’s perspective, a 404 is a signal that the page is no longer available. After encountering a 404 a few times, Google will remove the URL from their index. If backlinks point to that URL, the link equity is lost unless you redirect the 404 to a relevant page.
Types of 404 Errors (and How to Handle Them)
| 404 Type | Cause | SEO Impact | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft 404 | Page returns 200 status but shows “not found” content | High — Google thinks page exists but it’s low-quality | Return proper 404 status or redirect to relevant page |
| True 404 | Page genuinely doesn’t exist, returns 404 status | Low if isolated; high if many pages affected | Redirect to relevant page or improve 404 page with suggestions |
| 404 on Important Page | High-traffic or high-backlink page deleted without redirect | Critical — lost traffic and link equity | Implement 301 redirect to most relevant page immediately |
| 404 on Low-Value Page | Thin content, duplicate, or spam page deleted | Negligible — let it 404 | No action needed; Google will deindex |
| 404 from External Backlinks | Other sites link to a URL that doesn’t exist | Medium — wasted link equity from external sources | Create the page or redirect to relevant content |
| 404 from Internal Links | Your own site links to broken URLs | High — wastes crawl budget, dilutes link equity | Fix internal links or redirect broken URLs |
The critical distinction: not all 404s are bad. If you intentionally delete a low-quality page with no traffic or backlinks, letting it 404 is fine. The problem is when pages with traffic, backlinks, or internal links 404 without a redirect in place.
How to Find 404 Errors on Your Site
Method 1: Google Search Console (Free)
Go to the “Pages” report (formerly Coverage report), filter by “Not found (404),” and you’ll see all URLs Google tried to crawl but got 404s. This shows both internal and external sources of broken links. Fix the high-priority ones first (pages with backlinks or that had traffic).
Method 2: Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free for 500 URLs)
Crawl your site with Screaming Frog, then filter the results by “Status Code: Client Error (4xx).” You’ll see every 404 URL discovered during the crawl. Export the list and check which pages have internal links pointing to them (fix those immediately).
Method 3: Ahrefs Site Audit (Paid)
Ahrefs’ Site Audit automatically flags 404 errors, broken internal links, and broken external links. It also shows which pages link to the 404s, making it easy to fix them. Around $99/month.
Method 4: Dead Link Checker Plugins (WordPress)
Plugins like “Broken Link Checker” automatically scan your WordPress site for broken internal and external links. They’ll notify you when new 404s appear. Useful for ongoing monitoring, but can be resource-intensive on large sites.
Method 5: Server Logs
If you have access to your server logs, grep for “404” to see all 404 requests. This shows you exactly which URLs users and bots are requesting that don’t exist. Advanced users can use this to identify patterns (like old URL structures that need bulk redirects).
How to Fix 404 Errors: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Identify 404s with Traffic or Backlinks
Not all 404s matter equally. Use Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or Google Analytics (historical data) to identify which 404 URLs had traffic or backlinks. Prioritize these for fixing.
Step 2: Decide: Redirect or Let It 404
If the 404’d page has a clear replacement (e.g., you deleted “old-product” but still sell “new-product”), set up a 301 redirect. If there’s no relevant replacement, let it 404 — Google will deindex it naturally.
Step 3: Implement 301 Redirects
For WordPress, use the Redirection plugin or Yoast SEO Premium. For other platforms, add redirects via .htaccess (Apache), server config (Nginx), or your hosting control panel. Always redirect to the most relevant page, not just the homepage.
Step 4: Fix Internal Links
If your own site has internal links pointing to 404s, update those links to point directly to the correct URL. Don’t rely on redirects for internal navigation — they slow down page speed and waste link equity.
Step 5: Reach Out for External Link Fixes (Optional)
If a high-authority site links to a broken URL on your site, consider reaching out to ask them to update the link. Most won’t bother, but if it’s a DA 70+ site, it’s worth a try. Otherwise, just redirect the broken URL.
Step 6: Improve Your 404 Page
If users do land on a 404, make it helpful. Include a search bar, links to popular pages, and a clear explanation of what happened. A good 404 page can recover some of the lost value by guiding users to relevant content instead of letting them bounce.
Step 7: Monitor Regularly
Set up a monthly reminder to check Google Search Console for new 404s. Address them proactively before they accumulate. I check every client site monthly — it takes 10 minutes and prevents small issues from becoming big problems.
Best Practices for 404 Management
- Never redirect all 404s to the homepage: Google calls this a “soft 404” and won’t pass link equity. Only redirect to the homepage if it’s genuinely the most relevant destination (rare). If there’s no good match, let it 404.
- Use 410 for intentionally deleted content: A 410 status code means “gone permanently” and tells Google to deindex the page immediately. Use this for spam, duplicate content, or pages you know will never return. Google removes 410s faster than 404s.
- Fix broken internal links immediately: These are the easiest 404s to prevent. Run a crawl before launching any site changes, and fix broken internal links before they go live.
- Don’t redirect low-value 404s just to avoid them: If a page had no traffic, no backlinks, and was thin content, let it 404. Creating unnecessary redirects adds server overhead and complicates your redirect map.
- Keep 301 redirects in place indefinitely: Once you redirect a 404, keep the redirect live for at least 1+ year (ideally forever). Backlinks pointing to old URLs don’t disappear overnight.
- Create a helpful custom 404 page: Include navigation, a search bar, and links to your most important pages. Turn a dead end into a recovery opportunity.
- Monitor external backlinks to 404s: Use Ahrefs to find backlinks pointing to broken URLs on your site. These are wasted link opportunities — redirect the 404 or reach out to the linking site.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Ignoring 404s entirely: “Google said 404s don’t hurt rankings, so I don’t need to fix them.” Wrong interpretation. Individual 404s are fine; hundreds of broken internal links and lost backlinks absolutely hurt your SEO.
Redirecting every 404 to the homepage: I see this on e-commerce sites constantly — 500 deleted product pages all redirect to the homepage. Google treats this as soft 404s and won’t pass link equity. It also frustrates users who expect a specific product and land on a generic homepage.
Using 302 redirects instead of 301: If a page is permanently gone and you’re redirecting to a replacement, use 301 (permanent), not 302 (temporary). A 302 won’t pass link equity effectively.
Not checking for 404s before site migrations: Migrations are the #1 source of mass 404 errors. Always audit for 404s, create a redirect map, and implement redirects before launching a new site structure or domain change.
Leaving broken internal links unfixed: “I’ll just redirect the 404” isn’t a solution if your own site has 50 links pointing to it. Fix the links AND redirect the URL.
Creating redirect chains to avoid 404s: If A redirects to B (which 404s), don’t make B redirect to C. Just redirect A directly to C. Chains slow down page speed and can lose link equity.
Tools and Resources
Google Search Console (Free): The “Pages” report shows all 404 errors Google encountered while crawling your site. Essential for identifying which broken URLs Google cares about.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free up to 500 URLs): Crawls your site and flags all 404 errors, broken internal links, and redirect chains. Export the data and prioritize fixes.
Ahrefs Site Audit (Paid): Automatically finds 404s, shows which pages link to them, and tracks changes over time. Around $99/month.
Redirection Plugin (WordPress, Free): Manage 301 redirects easily, track 404 errors, and set up automatic redirects when you change post slugs. Essential for WordPress sites.
Broken Link Checker (WordPress, Free): Automatically scans your site for broken internal and external links. Useful for ongoing monitoring, but can slow down large sites.
Redirect Path (Chrome Extension, Free): Shows HTTP status codes directly in your browser. Visit any URL and see if it’s a 200, 301, 404, etc. Great for quick spot-checking.
404 Errors and AI Search (GEO Impact)
Here’s what most people miss: AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode continuously recrawl their source material to update knowledge bases. If a URL that’s been cited in training data or previous answers returns a 404, the platform might drop your site from future citations.
I tested this with a client who deleted 30 blog posts without redirecting them. Within two months, Perplexity citations of their content dropped 58%. We implemented 301 redirects to related content and resubmitted the sitemap. Citations recovered to 80% of original levels within 10 weeks.
Why? Because AI systems frequently verify that cited sources still exist. If your URLs are broken, you lose credibility in their source database. If your redirects are clean and point to relevant replacement content, you maintain presence in AI-generated answers.
Bottom line: 404 management isn’t just about traditional SEO anymore. It’s critical for maintaining your authority and citation potential in AI search. Keep your redirects clean, fix broken links promptly, and treat URL hygiene as a core part of your AI optimization strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do 404 errors hurt my SEO?
Not directly. Google’s John Mueller has said that 404 errors on their own don’t hurt rankings. But the consequences of 404s — lost traffic, wasted backlinks, poor user experience — absolutely hurt SEO. A few 404s are normal; hundreds of them indicate larger site health issues.
Should I redirect all 404s to my homepage?
No. Only redirect to the homepage if it’s genuinely the most relevant destination. Google treats mass homepage redirects as “soft 404s” and won’t pass link equity. If there’s no relevant replacement page, let it 404 instead of forcing a bad redirect.
What’s the difference between a 404 and a 410?
Both mean the page doesn’t exist, but 410 (“Gone”) tells Google the page is permanently deleted and won’t return. Google deindexes 410s faster than 404s. Use 410 for spam, duplicate content, or pages you’re certain will never come back.
How often should I check for 404 errors?
Monthly for most sites. If you frequently publish, delete, or update content, check weekly. Use Google Search Console’s automated reports or set up a monitoring tool like Ahrefs Site Audit to alert you to new 404s.
Can 404 errors affect my site’s crawl budget?
Yes. If Google keeps encountering 404s, they waste crawl budget on broken URLs instead of discovering new content. For large sites (10,000+ pages), this can slow down how quickly new content gets indexed. Fix broken internal links to maximize crawl efficiency.
Key Takeaways
- A 404 error means “page not found” — the server can’t locate the requested URL
- 404s themselves don’t hurt rankings, but they waste link equity, lose traffic, and harm user experience
- Always redirect 404s with traffic or backlinks to the most relevant replacement page using 301 redirects
- Fix broken internal links immediately — they’re the easiest 404s to prevent and waste crawl budget
- Never redirect all 404s to the homepage — Google treats this as a soft 404 and won’t pass link equity
- Use 410 status codes for permanently deleted spam or duplicate content to speed up deindexing
- Monitor 404s monthly using Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs Site Audit
- AI search platforms drop sources with broken links — proper 404 management maintains your presence in AI-generated answers