A 404 page is what visitors see when a page on your site doesn't exist. Handling it well means sending the right status code, redirecting pages that moved to their true replacements and showing a helpful page that keeps the visitor on your site. Most small business sites get at least one of these wrong, usually right after a redesign. This guide covers the common mistakes, how to test for each one in a few minutes and a simple monthly routine to keep missing pages from piling up.
Mistake 1: Not returning a real 404 status
Every page sends a status code to browsers and search engines along with the content. A missing page should send 404 (not found) or 410 (gone). Some sites show a "page not found" message but send a 200 status, which means "everything's fine." Google calls these soft 404s and reports them in Search Console, because the page claims to exist when it doesn't.
Soft 404s are common on sites built with some page builders and JavaScript-heavy frameworks, and on sites where someone set up a custom error page the wrong way. The visitor sees an error. Google sees a real page with thin content, and may keep it in its index.
Here's how to check yours in a couple of minutes:
- Visit a made-up address on your site, such as yoursite.com/this-page-does-not-exist
- Open your browser's developer tools, go to the Network tab and reload the page. The first request should show status 404, not 200
- Or paste the address into an online HTTP header checker and read the status line
- Repeat with a made-up address inside a folder, such as /services/fake-page, because some sites handle folders differently
Mistake 2: Redirecting every missing page to the homepage
It's tempting to send every broken link to the homepage so no one ever sees an error. Google generally treats mass redirects to an unrelated page as soft 404s, so you gain nothing in search. And visitors who wanted a specific answer land somewhere that doesn't give it to them.
Say a customer clicks an old link to your "water heater repair" page and lands on your homepage with no explanation. They don't know whether you still offer the service. Many will hit the back button. A clear 404 page that says "that page has moved" and links to your plumbing services keeps more of them.
The rule is simple. Redirect a missing URL only when there's a genuinely equivalent page. Otherwise, let it return a 404 with a helpful page.
Mistake 3: Losing old URLs in a redesign
The most expensive 404s happen when a site is rebuilt and page addresses change. Old pages may have years of links from other websites, directory listings and bookmarks. If those addresses suddenly return 404, that value is lost and visitors hit dead ends.
Any old URL that had search traffic or links from other websites should get a permanent (301) redirect to its closest new equivalent. Build the redirect map before launch, not after:
- Export every old URL from the old sitemap, Google Search Console's Pages and Performance reports and your analytics
- Add any URLs that other sites link to, from Search Console's Links report or an SEO tool
- Put them in a spreadsheet with a second column for the new URL
- Match each old page to the new page that answers the same question, not just the nearest section
- Mark pages with no real equivalent as intentionally removed, so they return 404 or 410
- After launch, test a sample of old URLs and watch Search Console's page indexing report for new not-found errors over the following weeks
Mistake 4: Redirect chains and temporary redirects
Two redirect mistakes cause quiet problems. The first is a chain: old page A redirects to page B, which was later moved to page C. Each hop slows the visitor down and makes the path harder for search engines to follow. When you add a new redirect, update older ones so every old URL points straight to the final page in one step.
The second is using a temporary (302) redirect for a permanent move. A 302 tells search engines the original page will be back. If the move is permanent, use a 301. Some plugins and hosting panels default to 302, so check the setting rather than assuming.
Also watch for redirect loops, where page A points to B and B points back to A. Browsers show an error and the visitor is stuck. Testing each redirect once after you add it catches these.
Mistake 5: A dead-end 404 page
A plain "404 Not Found" message with nothing else loses the visitor. It's often the hosting company's default page, with no logo, no menu and no way back. A good 404 page does the opposite. It admits the problem in one line and then gets the visitor moving again.
- Says plainly that the page doesn't exist or has moved, without jokes that make people work to understand
- Keeps your normal header, menu and footer so visitors can find their way
- Links to your main services and most-visited pages
- Shows your phone number and a link to contact you, which matters most on phones
- Offers a site search if your site is large enough to need one
- Matches your brand rather than showing the hosting company's default page
- Still returns a 404 status, even though it looks like a normal page
Mistake 6: Broken internal links
Links from your own pages to pages that no longer exist frustrate visitors and waste search engines' time crawling dead ends. They usually come from menus, footers, old blog posts and buttons that someone forgot to update when a page was renamed.
Run a crawler such as Screaming Frog or a site audit tool after every major change. It lists every link that leads to a 404 and the page it appears on. Fix internal links at the source rather than relying on redirects. A redirect works, but a direct link is faster for the visitor and cleaner for search engines. Broken images, scripts and PDFs count too, and they can slow a page down. See what actually slows a site down.
Mistake 7: Forgetting links you don't control
Plenty of traffic arrives from places outside your website. If those links point to an old address, a redirect is the only thing that saves the visit. Check these whenever you change a URL:
- The website link and any appointment or menu links on your Google Business Profile
- Bing Places, Apple Business Connect and directory listings such as Yelp and your chamber of commerce
- Links in old social media posts and pinned posts
- QR codes on trucks, yard signs, brochures and business cards
- Email signatures, email templates and automated follow-up messages
- Links from suppliers, manufacturers, associations and local news articles
Mistake 8: Handling discontinued services and products badly
Businesses change what they offer. How you retire a page depends on what replaces it.
Say you run a veterinary practice in Statesville and stop offering boarding. If you now refer clients to a partner, a page explaining that is more useful than an error. If boarding is simply gone and nothing replaces it, a 404 or 410 is honest. Redirecting it to your wellness exam page would confuse people looking for boarding.
For a shop, the same logic applies to products. If a discontinued item has a direct successor, redirect to it. If it still gets visits and links, you can keep the page up, mark it clearly as discontinued and link to similar items. If it has no traffic and no replacement, let it return a 404. Online stores pile up dead product pages faster than any other type of site, so this is worth a quarterly check. More on that for online stores and veterinary practices.
Mistake 9: Never checking
404s pile up quietly. No one tells you when a link breaks. A short monthly routine catches most of them:
- Open Google Search Console, go to the page indexing report and review the "Not found (404)" and "Soft 404" reasons
- In your analytics, filter page views by your 404 page's title to see which missing addresses people actually visit
- Run a crawl of the site and fix any broken internal links
- For each missing URL, decide: fix the link, add a redirect or leave it as a 404
- Prioritize pages with links pointing to them, pages people still visit and obvious typos in your own links
When to use a 404, 410 or 301
Most decisions come down to one question: is there a page that answers the same need? Use this as a quick guide.
- 301 redirect: the content moved to a new address, or a clear replacement exists
- 404 not found: the page is gone, there's no equivalent and you may or may not bring it back
- 410 gone: the page was removed on purpose and won't return. Search engines treat it much like a 404
- Fix the link: the missing URL comes from a typo or outdated link on your own site
- Leave it alone: random addresses from bots or mistyped URLs with no links or visits
How we handle it
On the sites we build, unknown addresses return a real 404 status with a branded page that links back to the main services, and redesigns include a redirect map for every old URL that had traffic. For existing WordPress sites, we diagnose before quoting, so if you're seeing a pile of 404s or soft 404s we'll find the cause first.
If you're planning a rebuild, our web design and WordPress services include it. You can also check the common web design mistakes that tend to show up alongside 404 problems, or contact us and we'll reply within one business day.
Common questions
Do 404 errors hurt SEO?
Not on their own. Google expects missing pages to return 404, and every site has some. They become a problem when valuable pages disappear without a redirect, when internal links point to dead pages, or when missing pages wrongly return a 200 status.
Should I redirect all 404s to my homepage?
No. Google generally treats mass redirects to an unrelated page as soft 404s, and visitors lose the context of what they were looking for. Redirect a missing page only when there's an equivalent replacement, and otherwise let it return a 404 with a helpful page.
What's the difference between a 301 and a 404?
A 301 says the page has permanently moved to a new address and sends visitors there. A 404 says the page doesn't exist. Use 301s when content moved and 404s when it's gone.
What is a soft 404?
A soft 404 is a page that tells visitors it doesn't exist, or has almost no content, but sends a 200 "OK" status to search engines. Google reports these in Search Console's page indexing report. The fix is to make missing pages return a real 404 or 410 status, or to redirect them if a true replacement exists.
How do I set up redirects on a WordPress site?
Most WordPress sites use a redirect plugin or the redirect manager built into an SEO plugin, which lets you enter the old path and the new URL. On some hosts you can also add redirects at the server level. Whichever method you use, choose a 301 for permanent moves and test each redirect after adding it.
How often should I check for 404 errors?
Once a month is enough for most small business sites, plus a full check right after any redesign, URL change or platform move. The first few weeks after a redesign are when missing pages matter most, so check Search Console more often during that window.
The takeaway
Return a real 404 status for missing pages, redirect moved pages to their true equivalents in a single step and make the 404 page helpful enough to keep visitors on your site. Build a redirect map before any redesign, update the links you don't control and check for new errors every month. It's unglamorous work, but it protects the traffic and links you've already earned.
