You’ve set up your website, optimized your content, and started attracting traffic, but then, Google Search Console hits you with a warning: Soft 404
Wait, what?
If it’s not a regular 404, what exactly is a soft 404
On top of that, should you care?
The short answer: Yes, Soft 404s are worth paying attention to, but don’t stress. They’re common and fixable for sure.
In this guide, you’ll find all the information you need to know about soft 404 errors.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Understanding Soft 404 Error
A soft 404 error takes place when a page on your site looks like a 404 (not found) to Google, but your server returns a 200 (OK) status code instead of a proper 404 or 410.
In simple terms:
- The content is missing or unhelpful,
- But the page says, “All good here!” to Google.
Soft 404 is a confusing error!
For your better understanding, 👉 check this Crawl Errors now reports soft 404s
Difference between “404 error” and “soft 404 error”
Let’s quickly differentiate between a “404 error” and a “soft 404 error.”
| 404 | Soft 404 |
| Returns a proper 404 (Not Found) HTTP status. | Returns a 200 (OK) status, even though the page is absent or useless. |
| The message is clear | It confuses Google |
| Less chances to waste crawl budget. Google knows to ignore or remove the page from indexing. | Can hurt SEO if not fixed, since Google may waste crawl budget or misinterpret the page. |
How to Find Soft 404s
If you’re wondering whether your site has soft 404s, just follow these easy steps:
- Log in to Google Search Console
- Select your property (website)
- In the left-hand menu, click on Pages (under the Indexing section)
- Scroll down to the Why pages aren’t indexed section
- Search for the line that says “Soft 404”
- Click it to see a list of affected URLs and when they were last detected
Common Causes of Soft 404 Errors
Soft 404s can be triggered by:
1. Pages With Little or No Content
If a page loads but has almost no meaningful content, Google may consider it an error, even if the URL is there.
Example: A Shopify product page with just the name and “Coming soon” text might trigger a soft 404.
2. “Not Found” Pages That Return a 200 Status
Sometimes, a page displays a “Page Not Found” message but still returns a 200 OK status instead of 404. Google flags it as a soft 404.
Example: A missing blog post that says “Oops! Page not found” but doesn’t send the proper 404 code.
3. Empty Product or Category Pages
E-commerce sites often trigger soft 404s when a category has no products or a product is out of stock, but there isn’t any related information.
Example: You have a product page example.com/products/red-shirt
But the red shirt is sold out, and the page only says: “This product is no longer available.”
You haven’t added any helpful info, just that message.
Google sees the page as “empty” or unhelpful and may mark it as a soft 404, even though the page technically exists.
4. Have You Redirected Broken URLs to Irrelevant Pages?
When a missing page is redirected to something unrelated, like the homepage, Google may treat it as a soft 404.
Example: Redirecting /blog/seo-guide to the homepage instead of a relevant blog post.
5. Pages with Placeholder or Auto-Generated Content
Pages with the placeholder “Lorem ipsum” or machine-generated content lack value. Google often flags these pages.
Example: A blog post template published without editing: “Write your intro here…”
6. CMS or Theme Issues: Returning Blank or Incomplete Pages
Sometimes, technical glitches or theme bugs serve up blank pages with a 200 status. Google thinks it’s a mistake.
Example: A WordPress page with a broken shortcode that loads but displays nothing.
7. Incorrect Canonical Tags
If any of your pages point to a canonical URL that no longer exists or is irrelevant, it can confuse crawlers and cause a soft 404.
Example: A tag page that canonicals to a deleted category page.
Get a clear concept on 👉 How to specify a canonical URL
How to Fix Soft 404 Errors
Here’s how to tackle soft 404s based on what’s causing them:
1. Set Up Proper Redirects: If the page has moved, just carefully redirect it to the correct URL using a 301 redirect.
2. Return the Correct Status Code: Have a page that truly doesn’t exist? Then, confirm that your server returns a 404 or 410 status code, not a 200.
3. Improve Thin or Placeholder Content: If Google thinks the page is “empty,” add helpful, relevant content to show it’s real.
4. Clean Up Broken Links: Fix internal links that lead to broken or outdated pages. A good tool like WinnSEO can help you scan your site regularly.
5. Avoid Redirecting to Irrelevant Pages: Does it seem that sending broken URLs to your homepage or unrelated pages is a quick fix? 😄
No! Google sees through that and may still mark it as a soft 404.
What to Do Next?
No stress; there’s no need to panic!
Soft 404 errors are a normal part of managing any website, and the good news is they’re often easy to fix.
With a quick check in Google Search Console and a few simple updates, you can keep your site running smoothly. Over time, you’ll likely notice improvements in your site’s SEO health and overall performance.