A soft 404 is a page that tells visitors it does not exist, or has almost nothing on it, while telling search engines everything is fine. In technical terms, the page shows a “not found” or empty message but the server sends a 200 (OK) status code instead of a proper 404 (not found). Google spots the mismatch and reports it in Search Console as a soft 404.
Will it hurt your rankings? Google will not show a page it treats as a soft 404 in its results, so if that page is one you want people to find, it is a real problem. A handful of soft 404s on unimportant pages will not damage your whole site, but lots of them waste Google’s time crawling pointless pages and can be a sign of wider technical issues worth fixing.
What is the difference between a 404 and a soft 404?
When someone visits a web page, the server sends back a status code alongside the content. That code tells browsers and search engines what has happened.
- 200 OK: the page exists and has loaded normally.
- 301 Moved Permanently: the page has moved to a new address.
- 404 Not Found: the page does not exist.
- 410 Gone: the page has been deliberately removed.
A normal 404 is honest: the page is missing, and the server says so. That is perfectly fine. Every site has some 404s, and Google expects them.
A soft 404 is confusing. The page looks missing or empty to a visitor, but the server claims it loaded successfully. Google has to guess what is going on, and when it decides the page is effectively empty or missing, it labels it a soft 404 and leaves it out of the index.
What causes soft 404 errors?
Soft 404s usually come from how a website is set up rather than anything a visitor does. Common causes include:
- Custom “page not found” templates that return a 200 status instead of 404.
- Empty or very thin pages, such as category or tag pages with no posts, blank search results pages or placeholder pages left over from a build.
- Out-of-stock or discontinued products that show “this product is no longer available” with little else on the page.
- Redirecting lots of old pages to the homepage. Google often treats a mass redirect to an unrelated page as a soft 404.
- Pages that fail to load properly for Google, for example because content relies on scripts that do not run, or resources are blocked.
- Auto-generated pages from themes or plugins, such as attachment pages or author archives with no real content.
Do soft 404 errors affect rankings?
It depends on which pages are affected.
- If it is a page you want to rank, such as a service page or a product that is still for sale, it is a serious issue. That page will not appear in Google until the problem is fixed.
- If it is a genuinely empty or unwanted page, the soft 404 itself is not harming other pages, but the page should return the right status so Google stops wasting effort on it.
- If there are lots of them, Google may spend more time crawling low-value URLs and less time on your important pages. On large sites, such as online shops, this can slow down how quickly new or updated pages are picked up.
Soft 404s also often point to a poor experience for visitors who land on empty pages, which is worth fixing in its own right. If your pages are not appearing at all, our guide on why your website isn’t showing in Google covers other common causes.
How to find soft 404 errors
The easiest place to look is Google Search Console:
- Open the Pages report (under Indexing).
- Look under “Why pages aren’t indexed” for a row labelled Soft 404.
- Click it to see the list of affected URLs.
- Use the URL Inspection tool on any individual page to see how Google views it.
A website crawler such as Screaming Frog can also check status codes across your whole site and highlight broken links and empty pages.
How to fix soft 404 errors
The right fix depends on what the page is meant to be.
The page should exist and rank
If Google has flagged a real, important page, it probably thinks the page is empty or too thin. Add useful content: a clear explanation of the service or product, helpful details, images and answers to common questions. Check that the content loads properly for Google using URL Inspection, then request indexing.
The page has moved
Set up a 301 redirect to the most relevant new page. Avoid sending everything to the homepage; redirect each old URL to its closest match.
The page no longer exists
Let it return a proper 404, or a 410 if it has been permanently removed. Make sure your 404 page is helpful, with links to your main sections and a search box, so visitors can find their way.
The page is needed but should not be in Google
For pages such as internal search results or thank-you pages, add a noindex tag so they stay out of the index without causing confusion.
Out-of-stock products
If the product is coming back, keep the page live with full details and a clear stock message. If it is gone for good, redirect to a close alternative or let it return a 404.
Once you have made changes, use the Validate Fix button in Search Console so Google rechecks the affected pages.
Prevention: regular site maintenance
- Check the Pages report in Search Console every month or so.
- Stop your theme or plugins creating empty archive and attachment pages.
- Plan redirects carefully whenever you remove pages or rebuild your site.
- Run a crawl after big changes to catch broken links early.
FAQs
Are 404 errors bad for SEO?
Normal 404s for pages that genuinely no longer exist are fine. The problem is when important pages return 404 by mistake, or when broken internal links send visitors to dead ends.
How long does it take Google to clear soft 404s?
Once fixed, Google needs to recrawl the pages. Using Validate Fix in Search Console speeds things up, but it can still take days or weeks.
Should I redirect all 404 pages to my homepage?
No. Google often treats mass redirects to the homepage as soft 404s. Redirect to a closely related page, or let the page return a proper 404.
Can a page with content still be a soft 404?
Yes. If Google cannot see the content, for example because it fails to load, or judges the page to be very thin, it may still flag it.
Need help fixing technical SEO issues?
Pure Marketing is a Google Partner agency in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. We find and fix soft 404s, broken links, redirect problems and indexing issues as part of our technical SEO work. Take a look at our technical SEO services or request a free SEO audit to see what is holding your site back.
