Not found (404)
Search Console status: Not found (404)
Google hit a URL that returns 404 — the page doesn't exist. 404s don't harm the rest of the site and are the right response for removed content. Fix the 404s that had traffic or links, and the ones your internal links or sitemap point to.
What this status means
Google visited the URL and got a 404 status. The URL may once have been a page, may have come from a link with a typo or an old sitemap. Google rechecks it now and then but doesn't index it.
When a 404 is fine
- the content was removed on purpose and has no equivalent,
- the URL never existed (typos in links from other sites, URLs made up by bots),
- old technical URLs with no value for users.
When to fix it
- The page had traffic or external links — set a 301 redirect to the closest equivalent or restore the content.
- Internal links point to it — fix the links; users hit the error too.
- The URL is in the sitemap — remove it from the sitemap.
- Mass 404s after a migration — redirects are missing; go back to the redirect map.
- A 404 on a page that should work — a template failure, a URL change without a redirect, a removed product.
How to check
The redirect checker shows the status code and any redirects. In Search Console, URL Inspection shows where Google found the URL (referring pages, sitemap).
How to keep an eye on it
IndexRise checks the status code of monitored pages every night. A 4xx on a page that used to return 200 is a critical event — confirmed on the next check so a momentary error doesn't trigger an alarm.
Frequently asked questions
Do 404 errors lower rankings for the whole site?
No. Google treats 404s as a normal part of the web. The damage comes from losing a specific page that had traffic and links, or from mass 404s after a migration.
Should I redirect every 404 to the homepage?
No. Google usually treats a redirect to the homepage as a soft 404. Only redirect to a genuine equivalent.
404 or 410 for a removed page?
Both are correct. 410 says “gone for good” and may be processed slightly faster, but the difference is small.
Updated: 2026-10-20