Soft 404
A page that returns a 200 OK status but displays content indicating the page does not exist.
💡 Think of it like this: Soft 404 is like the blueprint an architect submits before construction begins. Without it, builders don’t know where to put the walls.
How Soft 404 Works
A soft 404 occurs when a web server returns a 200 (OK) HTTP status code for a URL, but the page actually displays a “not found” message or minimal content — effectively behaving like a 404 error without the proper status code. This creates confusion for search engine crawlers, which may interpret the page as having valid content and attempt to index it, wasting crawl budget and potentially affecting site quality signals.
Why Soft 404 Matters for SEO
Common causes of soft 404s include CMS pages that display “no results found” messages with a 200 status, out-of-stock product pages with no relevant content, empty search result pages, and pages that redirect to a homepage without a proper 301 redirect. Google Search Console’s Coverage report flags soft 404 errors, making them easier to identify and resolve across large sites. If you’re unsure how Soft 404 is impacting your site, working with an experienced SEO consultant can help you identify the problem and fix it efficiently.
Common Soft 404 Mistakes
Fixing soft 404s involves either returning a proper 404 or 410 HTTP status for truly missing pages, implementing 301 redirects to relevant existing pages, or adding meaningful content to otherwise empty pages. Resolving soft 404s improves crawl efficiency, prevents wasted index entries, and maintains the overall quality signal of a website in Google’s assessment.
Do’s and Don’ts: Soft 404
Related SEO Terms
TL;DR: A page that returns a 200 OK status but displays content indicating the page does…
If you remember one thing — focus on how Soft 404 affects your users first, then optimise for search engines second.
