How to fix 404 errors on a website: 4 strategies
Fix 404 errors with 4 strategies depending on situation: 301 redirect to a similar page (if exists), restore the deleted page from cache/archive (if important), keep 404 and build a good error page with navigation (if page no longer needed), use 410 Gone for permanently deleted content. Don't redirect everything to homepage — that's soft 404, Google penalizes it. Find 404s via Google Search Console → 'Pages → Not found (404)'.
Fix 404 errors with 4 strategies based on situation. Don't redirect everything to homepage — Google treats mass redirects as soft 404 and penalizes.
Find all 404s
- Google Search Console → Pages → Not found (404).
- Screaming Frog → Response Codes → 4xx.
- Server logs.
4 strategies
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Page had traffic | 301 to similar page |
| Page deleted by mistake | Restore from backup |
| Page not needed | Keep 404 + good error page |
| Permanently gone | 410 Gone |
Don't
- Don't mass-redirect to homepage.
- Don't use 302 for permanent redirects.
- Don't ignore 404s — you lose link equity.
This question is also asked as:
- •how to fix 404 errors
- •fixing 404 on website
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