What are HTTP errors?
HTTP errors are codes that are returned by a web server to a client (such as a web browser) to indicate that something went wrong with a request(a 404 error is one of them). The client receives this error code and message in response to an HTTP request it made to the server.
HTTP errors are grouped into classes, with each class represented by a specific range of numbers. The most common classes of HTTP errors are:
- 1xx (Informational): The request was received, and continuing process
- 2xx (Successful): The request was successfully received, understood, and accepted
- 3xx (Redirection): Further action needs to be taken in order to complete the request
- 4xx (Client Error): The request contains bad syntax or cannot be fulfilled by the server
- 5xx (Server Error): The server failed to fulfill a valid request
Each error has a specific code and message to help diagnose and resolve the issue. For example, the most common HTTP error is the 404 Not Found error, which indicates that the requested resource could not be found on the server.
It is important to note that HTTP errors are not limited to web browsers, any application that communicates over HTTP can encounter errors.
What a “404 Response Code” means?
A 404 response code, also known as a “404 Not Found” error, indicates that the server was unable to find the requested resource. This can occur for a variety of reasons, such as when a user attempts to access a page that has been deleted or moved, or when the user types in an incorrect URL.
The 404 error is a client-side error, which means that the problem is with the user’s request and not with the server. The server is able to understand the request made by the client, but it is unable to locate the requested resource.
When a user encounters a 404 error, they will typically see a message in their web browser that says “404 Not Found” or “The requested URL was not found on this server.” Additionally, the user may also see a custom error page that the website’s administrator has set up.
It is important to note that a 404 error does not indicate that the server is down or that there is a problem with the website. It simply means that the server was unable to find the requested resource. If you are the website owner you should check the URL or links to make sure they are correct and working properly.
What can cause a “404 Page Not Found”?
There are several potential causes of a 404 “Page Not Found” error, including:
- Typing in the wrong URL: This is a common cause of 404 errors, particularly when a user is manually typing in the URL to access a specific page.
- Broken links: A broken link is a link on a website that no longer points to a valid resource. This can happen if the resource has been moved or deleted, or if the link has been typed incorrectly.
- Moved or deleted web pages: If a webpage has been moved or deleted, any links pointing to that page will result in a 404 error.
- Website redesigns: If a website has undergone a redesign, the URLs for certain pages may have changed. Any old links pointing to the old URLs will result in a 404 error.
- Incorrectly configured servers: If the server is not configured correctly, it may return a 404 error even if the requested resource exists.
- Caching errors: If a user’s browser has cached an old version of a webpage, they may see a 404 error even if the page is currently available on the website.
- URL rewriting: If a website uses URL rewriting, it may return a 404 error if the rewritten URL is not configured correctly.
- Incorrectly configured .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. If it is not configured correctly, it can cause 404 errors.
It’s important to note that some of these causes may be out of the control of the website owner, but some of them can be fixed by the website owner by checking the URL, links or configuring the server properly.
What is a Soft 404 Error?
A soft 404 error is a type of error that occurs when a server returns a “200 OK” HTTP status code, but the content of the page is actually a “404 Not Found” page or a page with no useful content. In other words, a soft 404 error occurs when a server returns a page that looks like a valid page but doesn’t contain the expected information or resources.
The main difference between a soft 404 error and a traditional 404 error is that the former returns a “200 OK” status code, while the latter returns a “404 Not Found” status code. This can be confusing for both users and search engines, as the server is indicating that the page is valid when in fact it is not.
What can cause a Soft 404 Error?
A soft 404 error can be caused by several factors, some of which include:
- Custom error pages: A website may have a custom error page that returns a “200 OK” status code, but does not contain the expected information or resources. For example, the custom error page may simply say “404 Not Found” but not provide a search function or a link to the homepage.
- Incorrectly configured redirects: A website may have a redirect in place that sends users to a different page when a requested resource is not found. However, if the redirect is not configured correctly, it may return a “200 OK” status code instead of a “404 Not Found” status code.
- Dynamic content generation: Websites that generate content dynamically based on user input (e.g. a search feature) may return a “200 OK” status code but not handle missing resources correctly, resulting in a soft 404 error.
- Incorrectly configured server settings: A website may have incorrectly configured server settings that prevent the server from returning a “404 Not Found” status code when a missing resource is requested.
- Website analytics tracking code: Some website analytics tracking codes ignore the HTTP status code, and instead only track the pages being viewed, which could lead to a soft 404 error.
- Incorrectly configured .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. If it is not configured correctly, it can cause soft 404 errors.
Why Soft 404 Error is problematic?
Soft 404 errors can be problematic for several reasons:
- They can confuse users, as they may not realize that the page they are viewing is not the page they expected.
- They can negatively impact search engine rankings, as search engines may not be able to accurately determine the relevance of the page.
- They can also lead to issues with website analytics, as it may be difficult to determine how many actual 404 errors are occurring on the site.
To prevent soft 404 errors, website owners should ensure that their custom error pages return a “404 Not Found” status code and contain useful information for the user, such as a search function or a link to the homepage. Additionally, website owners should ensure that their redirects are configured correctly and that any scripts or plugins used on the site are handling missing resources correctly.
Soft 404 Because Of Coding Errors?
Yes, coding errors can cause soft 404 errors.
For example, if a website has a dynamic page that generates content based on user input (such as a search feature), and the code that generates the content is not handling missing resources correctly, it may return a “200 OK” status code instead of a “404 Not Found” status code. This can result in a soft 404 error, where the server is indicating that the page is valid, but the page does not contain the expected information or resources.
Another example is when a website uses a script or a plugin that generates a custom error page in case of a 404 error. If that script or plugin is not configured properly, it may return a “200 OK” status code instead of a “404 Not Found” status code.
Additionally, if the website uses URL rewriting, and the rewriting code is not configured correctly, it may return a “200 OK” status code for non-existing pages instead of a “404 Not Found” status code.
It’s important to note that soft 404 errors caused by coding errors can be resolved by identifying and fixing the specific coding issue that is causing the problem. Website owners should regularly test their pages and scripts to ensure that they are handling missing resources correctly, and returning the appropriate status code.
How to Recognize 404 Error Pages?
There are several ways to recognize 404 error pages:
- HTTP status code: A 404 error page will return an HTTP status code of “404 Not Found” or “410 Gone” to indicate that the page could not be found.
- Error message: The page will typically display an error message such as “404 Not Found” or “The requested URL was not found on this server”.
- Custom error page: Some websites have custom error pages that are designed to look similar to the rest of the website, but contain an error message.
- Page content: In case of soft 404, the page may not have any useful content, just a message that the page is not found, or a search box.
- Web browser error message: Some web browsers will display their own error message when a 404 error occurs, such as “This page cannot be found” or “The requested resource could not be found”.
- Webmaster tools: You can use webmaster tools such as Google Search Console to track 404 errors on your website.
It’s worth noting that not all 404 error pages will look the same, as website owners can customize their error pages to match the look and feel of their website. However, regardless of the appearance of the error page, it will always return a “404 Not Found” or “410 Gone” status code.
Reports from Google Search Console
The 404 error URLs on a website are listed in the Coverage report.
As Google crawls all of the pages it can locate, the Search Console will report 404 pages. This can include backlinks to pages on your website that are no longer present from other websites.
Google Analytics
By default, Google Analytics does not include a missing page report. However, there are other ways to track them. In a custom report, you can, for instance, separate out pages whose page titles include Error 404 – Page Not Found.
Making custom content categories and adding all 404 pages to them is another technique to detect orphaned pages in Google Analytics.
Site: Operator Search Command
The site: search query cannot be used to locate 404 issues since Google does not index 404 or soft 404 pages. Finding web pages on a site that have a particular keyword phrase in their text is easy with Google’s site: search operator.
The most reliable resource for compiling a list of soft 404s and standard 404s is Google’s Search Console. 404 error answers can be found using the website traffic error logs.
Other Backlink Analysis Software
Additional assistance can be provided by backlink analysis tools like Majestic, Ahrefs, Moz Open Site Explorer, Sistrix, Semrush, LinkResearchTools, and CognitiveSEO.
A list of the backlinks pointing to your domain will often be exported by these programs. You may then examine all the linked pages and search for 404 errors from there.
How to fix Soft 404 Errors?
Fixing soft 404 errors can involve several steps, depending on the cause of the error:
- Custom error pages: If a website has a custom error page that returns a “200 OK” status code, but does not contain the expected information or resources, the website owner should ensure that the custom error page returns a “404 Not Found” status code and contains useful information for the user, such as a search function or a link to the homepage.
- Incorrectly configured redirects: If a website has a redirect in place that sends users to a different page when a requested resource is not found, but the redirect is not configured correctly, the website owner should ensure that the redirect is configured to return a “404 Not Found” status code.
- Dynamic content generation: If a website generates content dynamically based on user input (e.g. a search feature), and the code that generates the content is not handling missing resources correctly, the website owner should ensure that the code is handling missing resources correctly, and returning a “404 Not Found” status code.
- Incorrectly configured server settings: If a website has incorrectly configured server settings that prevent the server from returning a “404 Not Found” status code when a missing resource is requested, the website owner should ensure that the server settings are configured correctly.
- Incorrectly configured .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. If it is not configured correctly, it can cause soft 404 errors. The website owner should check the .htaccess file and correct any issues.
- Monitor and Test Regularly: Regularly monitoring and testing the website for soft 404 errors, using tools like Google Search Console or Webmaster tools or by using the website traffic error logs can help you to identify the error and fix it.
It’s important to note that the exact steps needed to fix a soft 404 error will depend on the specific cause of the error and the website’s architecture. It may take some trial and error to find the root cause of the issue and implement the appropriate solution.
Conclusion
When it comes to 404 errors, it’s important to keep in mind that if the pages are actually gone, there’s nothing that can be done to fix them. In this case, a 404 response is an acceptable response to requests for pages that don’t exist. However, if the pages are present but on a different URL, that needs to be fixed. This can be done by rerouting a broken link to the correct URL, adding a page that was lost, or rerouting the old URL to the new page that took its place.
Soft 404 errors are caused by a problem that needs to be identified and rectified. Maintaining a website’s top performance requires an understanding of the various 404 errors and the ability to identify and resolve them.
