404
Client Error
404 Not Found
404 Not Found — the requested URL does not exist on the server. The most common client-error; signals search engines to remove the page from index.
Definition (RFC 9110)
HTTP status code 404 404 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Deep link from external sources pointing at an outdated URL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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