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404
Client Error

HTTP status code 404 Not Found

HTTP 404 Not Found is the status code a server returns when it is reachable but has nothing at the requested URL, without saying whether that is temporary or permanent. Search engines drop URLs that keep returning it.

Fixing this error on a site, a server or an API? Step-by-step guide: How to Fix 404 Not Found Errors: Visitors, nginx, Apache, CDN →

Definition (RFC 9110)

HTTP status code 404 Not Found is defined in RFC 9110 (HTTP Semantics), Section 15.5.5 — the current authoritative specification for HTTP semantics, published June 2022, which obsoletes the older RFC 7231 and RFC 2616.

Description

The 404 Not Found status code indicates that the server cannot find the requested resource. This is one of the most common HTTP errors. It does not indicate whether the absence is temporary or permanent.

For permanently removed resources, use 410 Gone instead.

Common Causes

Typo in the URL Page deleted without a 301 redirect Incorrect rewrite rule in nginx/.htaccess Deep link from external sources pointing at an outdated URL Missing static assets (CSS/JS) due to versioning

How to Fix

Use the Broken Links Checker to find dead links on the site. Old deleted URLs should 301-redirect to relevant content. Configure a custom 404 page with search and links to popular sections. Ensure sitemap.xml does not contain 404 URLs. Monitor 404s in Google Search Console weekly.

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Related Status Codes

400
400 Bad Request
The server cannot process the request due to malformed syntax.
 401
401 Unauthorized
Authentication is required and has failed or not been provided.
 402
402 Payment Required
402 Payment Required — code reserved for future use, but currently used by some APIs to signal "payment needed".
 403
403 Forbidden
403 Forbidden (RFC 9110, 15.5.4): the server understood the request but refuses it. Re-sending the same credentials will not help.
 405
405 Method Not Allowed
The HTTP method used is not allowed for this resource.
 406
406 Not Acceptable
The server cannot produce a response matching the client's Accept headers.

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