Error 404: Causes, Fixes, SEO Impact and Redirects
Axel Björn Lundqvist
2026-08-23 16:00
Key Takeaways:
Clicking a link and seeing “404 Not Found” is something most people have experienced. Many users repeatedly refresh the page or assume there is something wrong with their internet connection. In most cases, however, an error 404 is not a network problem. It simply means that the server could not find the requested resource.
So, where did the page go? Was it deleted, moved, or simply entered incorrectly? When you encounter an error 404, should you refresh the page, try another URL, or give up? This guide explains what an error 404 means, why it happens, how to fix it, and what website managers can do to handle it properly.
When you click a link or enter a URL in your browser and the page does not load normally but instead shows a message such as “Page Not Found” or “Page Does Not Exist,” you have encountered an error 404.
In simple terms, it means that the server cannot find the page you requested.
You can think of visiting a webpage like looking for a book in a library. You take the call number, which is like a URL, and search the shelf, which is like the server. But the book is not there. It may have been removed, moved to another shelf, or the call number may have been entered incorrectly. When the librarian tells you that the book cannot be found, that is essentially what an error 404 means.
There is an important distinction to keep in mind: an error 404 does not mean that the entire website is down or that your internet connection is unavailable. When a website is down, you may not be able to reach the server at all. When your internet connection is unavailable, other websites will also be difficult to access. With an error 404, the connection usually works and the server is responding, but the specific resource you requested cannot be found.
From a technical perspective, the server returns a three-digit status code after processing a request. Error code 404 is one of these status codes and means “Not Found.” Although you may not always see the number directly, it is the status code behind the missing page.
There are several common reasons for an error 404. In general, the problem may come from an incorrect URL or changes on the website itself.
This is one of the most common causes of an error 404 for regular users. A single extra character, a missing slash, or an incorrect file extension can prevent the server from finding the requested page.
For example, you may want to visit www.example.com/about-us, but accidentally enter www.example.com/aboutus. The missing hyphen could cause the page to return an error 404.
Website content changes over time. Outdated, invalid, or unnecessary pages may be removed. If the old URL is not handled properly before the page is deleted, users who continue to visit it may see an error 404 because the server can no longer find the resource.
Website redesigns often involve changes to directory structures and page URLs. For example, an article may originally use www.example.com/p/12345 and later move to www.example.com/news/how-to-fix-error-404.
If the old URL is not properly connected to the new one, users who visit the original address may encounter an error 404.
Broken links are another common cause. You may click a link from another website or open an old bookmark, only to discover that the page no longer exists or has moved to another URL.
Internal navigation links and recommended content can also become broken if they are not updated after a website changes its content or structure.
For website managers, an error 404 can sometimes result from changes to the site’s file structure or configuration. Moving a folder, changing a page path, or modifying server configuration can cause pages that previously worked normally to become unavailable.
404 pages can look very different from one website to another. Some simply display “404 Not Found,” while others use messages such as “Page Not Found.” Many websites also create custom error pages that encourage visitors to return to the homepage or explore other content.
Common messages include:
Why do these error pages look different? Most websites can customize their error page based on their design and branding. A well-designed error page may include a search box, links to popular content, or a button that takes users back to the homepage.
So if two websites display different versions of an error page, there is no need to be surprised. The design may be different, but the underlying issue is similar: the requested resource could not be found.
Seeing an occasional error 404 is usually not something to worry about. Broken or outdated URLs are a normal part of managing a website over time. The situation deserves more attention when a website has a large number of broken pages or internal links pointing to unavailable URLs.
Most websites will eventually have some pages that return an error 404. Content updates, deleted articles, and changes to website structure can all create unavailable URLs.
Search engines have their own mechanisms for handling these situations, so a small number of 404 errors usually does not have a significant impact on a website’s overall search performance.
Imagine visiting a website and clicking several links, only to find that every page is unavailable. Most users would probably leave the website.
A large number of broken pages can make a website harder to navigate. When users cannot find the information they need, they may simply leave instead of continuing to browse.
If a website has a large number of broken links over a long period, its structure can become harder to maintain. It may also create unnecessary requests for search engine crawlers when they encounter URLs that no longer lead to useful resources.
For this reason, website managers should regularly check internal links and address important broken URLs.
Not every error 404 needs to be handled in the same way. The following types deserve more attention:
The right way to handle an error 404 depends on whether you are a regular user or a website manager.
If you encounter a page that cannot be found, try the following steps.
Check and clean up the URL. First, look at the address bar and check for spelling mistakes. A missing character, an extra slash, or an incorrect file extension such as .htm instead of .html can cause an error 404.
If you copied the URL from somewhere else, also check whether extra characters or parameters were accidentally included at the end. In some cases, removing unnecessary parts of the URL and trying again can solve the problem.
Return to the website homepage. Start from the homepage and use the site’s navigation to find the content you were looking for.
Use the website’s search function. Many websites have a search box. Searching for the relevant keyword may help you find the same content at its new URL.
Try to find the new page URL. If the website has recently been redesigned, look for the updated page through its navigation, internal search, or a search engine.
If a page on your own website returns an error 404, you can work through the following steps.
Confirm whether the page really does not exist. Check the website backend or access the URL directly to determine whether the page was actually deleted or whether the problem is caused by an incorrect link. If your website serves users in different regions, you can also test the page from different network environments to avoid mistaking a regional access issue for a missing page. 1024Proxy provides residential IP resources that can help with webpage access testing from different regions.
Check internal links. If the page still exists but returns an error 404, check whether the internal link is incorrect or whether there is a problem with the website or server configuration.
Check whether the page URL has changed. If the page has simply moved to a new URL, identify the new address before deciding how to handle the old one.
Set an appropriate redirect for a permanently moved page. If the content has a corresponding new URL, redirect the old address to the new one so that users do not continue landing on an unavailable page.
Create a useful error page. Even when a page cannot be found, a well-designed error page can help keep visitors on your website. Consider adding a search box, a link to the homepage, and recommendations for useful or popular content.
A redirect can be appropriate when a page has moved to a new URL but the content is still available and useful.
If there is a suitable new page that replaces the old one, a 301 redirect can normally be used to send visitors from the old URL to the new URL. This helps users reach the relevant content without having to search for it again. It also helps search engines understand the relationship between the old and new URLs.
For example, if your “About Us” page changes from /about.html to /about-us/, you can redirect /about.html to /about-us/.
If the page has been permanently removed and there is no suitable replacement, returning a 404 status is usually more appropriate.
In this situation, sending users to an unrelated page simply to avoid an error 404 may create a worse experience.
The reason is simple: users may be looking for specific content, while search engines may not understand the relationship between an unavailable URL and the homepage.
If someone is trying to read a particular article but is automatically sent to the homepage, they have to spend additional time looking for the content again. If many unrelated old URLs all redirect to the homepage, search engines may also treat some of these URLs as soft 404s, which does not actually solve the underlying problem.
So, don’t redirect every unavailable URL to the homepage simply to reduce the number of site errors.
A simple rule of thumb:
A new page provides suitable replacement content: use a 301 redirect.
The page has been permanently deleted with no replacement: return a 404 status and provide a useful error page.
The page is temporarily unavailable and will return: handle the temporary issue based on the specific situation instead of treating it as a permanent URL change.
If your website has been redesigned or its page paths have changed, check whether old URLs are still being used by search engines, external websites, or your own internal links.
Updating these references where possible can reduce the number of users who continue to visit outdated URLs.
If the old content is no longer needed and there is no suitable replacement, it is generally fine to let the URL return an error 404.
However, the error page itself should still provide useful navigation. Links to the homepage, website search, popular content, or related pages can give visitors somewhere to go after they cannot find the original content.
Instead of waiting for problems to appear, websites can take a few simple steps to reduce broken links and unavailable pages.
Make it a habit to check internal links regularly. You can use online tools or search engine webmaster platforms such as Google Search Console to identify broken links and fix them before they create more problems.
Try not to change a large number of URLs unnecessarily during a redesign. If URL changes are unavoidable, plan the relationship between old and new URLs in advance and set up the appropriate redirects when the new structure goes live.
Before deleting a page, consider whether it still receives traffic or has external links pointing to it.
If it does, decide how the old URL should be handled before removing the content. Depending on the situation, you may need to redirect it or allow it to return an error 404.
Frequent changes to website directories and page paths are a common source of 404 errors.
Planning a clear directory structure when building a website and avoiding unnecessary changes later can prevent many unnecessary site errors.
An error 404, also known as HTTP 404 or 404 Not Found, means that the server cannot find the requested page or resource. It usually affects a specific URL rather than the entire website.
Frequent 404 errors on a website are often caused by redesigns, deleted content, changed directories, or broken links. You can use site:domain keyword to search for the content you need. If similar errors appear across different websites, first check whether the URL is correct or whether you are using an outdated bookmark or link.
Regular users can check the URL and use the homepage navigation, website search, or parent directory to find the content. Website managers should confirm the page status and then restore the page, fix internal links, or set up an appropriate redirect when necessary.
A small number of 404 errors is usually not a major concern. However, large numbers of broken links, especially on pages with traffic, external links, or search value, should be reviewed and handled appropriately.
Not every 404 page should redirect to the homepage. If a suitable replacement page exists, use a 301 redirect. If there is no replacement, it is generally better to return the original 404 status and provide a useful error page with search, navigation, or content recommendations.
An error 404 does not necessarily mean that something is wrong with the entire website. It may be caused by an incorrect URL, a deleted page, a changed address, or a broken link. For regular users, finding the correct page or URL is often enough to solve the problem. For website managers, the key is to identify why the requested resource cannot be found and then decide whether to restore the page, fix the link, set up a redirect, or keep the 404 status.
Understanding the cause of each error 404 makes it easier to handle broken pages properly and reduce their impact on the website.
