404 and Soft 404 Errors: Do They Impact Your SEO and Search Visibility?
Introduction: Understanding the Role of 404 Errors in SEO
404 and soft 404 errors are common technical issues that most websites face at some point. A 404 error happens when a user or search engine tries to visit a page that doesn’t exist, and the server correctly signals that the content is missing. A soft 404 error occurs when a page looks empty or irrelevant but still returns a normal “200 OK” status code, making it harder for search engines to understand what’s going on.
These errors usually appear when pages are deleted, URLs are mistyped, products or services are removed, or during major site updates like migrations or redesigns. While they’re normal to some extent, leaving too many unaddressed can harm the way users and search engines interact with your site.
That’s why SEO professionals and site owners must monitor and manage these errors — to protect crawl efficiency, link equity, and user experience.
What Is a 404 Error?
The Technical Definition
A 404 error means the server can’t find the page that was requested. In technical terms, it’s an HTTP 404 status code — a standard way for servers to tell browsers and search engines that the page doesn’t exist at the given URL.
Example of When 404 Errors Happen
Imagine a user clicks on an old link to a product that has been removed, or mistypes a web address. The server tries to find the page, fails, and returns a 404 response. The visitor sees a “page not found” message, often displayed on a custom error page designed by the site owner.
How Browsers and Search Engines React
Browsers show users a 404 error so they know the content is unavailable. Google and other search engines register the 404 status and will eventually stop indexing that URL, recognizing it as no longer useful.
Normal vs. Excessive 404s
A few 404 errors are perfectly normal — websites evolve, and pages are removed or changed. However, too many 404 errors, especially on important URLs, can waste crawl budget, confuse search engines, and frustrate visitors. That’s why monitoring and addressing 404s is a vital SEO task.
What Is a 'Soft' 404 Error?
How a Soft 404 Differs from a True 404
A soft 404 error happens when a page looks like it’s missing or useless, but the server doesn’t send the proper 404 status code. Instead, it returns a 200 (OK) response, which tells search engines the page exists and is valid — even though there’s no meaningful content there.
- A true 404 error sends the correct “page not found” status.
- A soft 404 falsely signals that everything is fine, creating confusion for search engines.
Example of a Soft 404
Consider a product page that’s been removed, but instead of returning a 404 status, it shows a “This product is no longer available” message while sending a 200 (OK) code.
- The user sees a message that the item is gone.
- Google thinks it’s a valid page worth indexing.
How Google Detects Soft 404s
Googlebot looks at the content of a page. If it finds little or no useful content, or generic “not found” text, it may flag the page as a soft 404 in Search Console — even if the server returns 200.
Why Soft 404s Confuse Search Engines
Soft 404s can waste crawl budget, cause indexing of empty pages, and dilute your site’s SEO strength. They send mixed signals about which pages deserve to rank.
Do 404 Errors Directly Impact Google Rankings?
No Direct Ranking Penalty
Google has confirmed that 404 errors don’t directly harm your site’s rankings. If a page no longer exists and serves a proper 404 status, Google simply drops it from the index over time. Every website will naturally have some 404s as content is updated, products are retired, or URLs change — and this is perfectly normal.
How 404s Can Indirectly Hurt SEO
While there’s no direct penalty, 404 errors can indirectly impact your SEO performance if not managed properly:
Broken internal links: If your own pages point to missing URLs, it creates a poor user experience and weakens your internal linking structure.
Wasted crawl budget: Googlebot may spend time trying to re-crawl dead pages instead of focusing on important content.
Poor user signals: Visitors landing on broken pages may leave quickly, increasing bounce rates and reducing engagement metrics.
Example Scenarios
Imagine an e-commerce site where old product pages were deleted without redirects. Users clicking those links hit dead ends, and search engines stop trusting the site’s link structure. Over time, this can contribute to a decline in visibility for related pages. That’s why it’s essential to monitor and manage 404s carefully.
Do Soft 404 Errors Hurt SEO More Than Hard 404s?
Why Soft 404s Are Trickier for Google
Soft 404 errors can be more damaging than proper (hard) 404s because they send mixed signals. When a page looks empty or irrelevant but returns a 200 (OK) status, Google treats it as valid. This wastes crawl resources and may result in low-value pages being indexed instead of ignored.
Potential for Duplicate Content Issues
Since soft 404 pages often return generic text like “page not found” or “item no longer available,” search engines might index multiple nearly identical pages.
This can create duplicate content that dilutes ranking signals.
Google may struggle to decide which page to prioritize.
Confusion in Passing Link Equity
Soft 404s also make it harder for Google to pass link equity correctly.
Valuable backlinks that point to these pages may not transfer authority to other useful URLs.
This can weaken your site’s overall SEO strength.
Example: Soft 404 Harm During Site Migration
Imagine migrating to a new domain, but your removed URLs return 200 codes with “not found” messages instead of proper 404s or 301 redirects. Google may waste crawl budget indexing empty pages, slowing down the reindexing of your new, important URLs.
How 404 and Soft 404 Errors Affect Crawl Budget
How Googlebot Handles Error Pages
When Googlebot encounters a true 404, it quickly notes the page is gone and eventually stops crawling it. This is efficient and helps free up crawl resources for other URLs. But soft 404s are different — they confuse Googlebot because they return a 200 (OK) status, so Google may repeatedly try to crawl and index those pages.
The Challenge for Large Sites
For large websites with thousands of URLs, excessive 404s or soft 404s can waste valuable crawl budget. Googlebot spends time revisiting these low-value pages instead of focusing on fresh, important content that could rank.
Why Crawl Budget Prioritization Matters
Crawl budget isn’t unlimited. It’s vital to ensure Googlebot spends time on pages that truly matter — your high-quality content, product listings, or key landing pages. Cleaning up 404s, fixing internal links, and avoiding soft 404 traps helps Google index your best content faster and more effectively.
Impact on User Experience and Engagement Signals
How 404 Errors Frustrate Visitors
When users land on a 404 page, they hit a dead end. This often leads to frustration, making them leave the site immediately. The result?
Higher bounce rates
Lower time on site
Missed conversion opportunities
Unless your 404 page is well-designed with helpful links or a search option, most visitors won’t stick around to explore further.
Why Soft 404s Can Be Worse
A soft 404 adds to the problem because users think they’ve successfully loaded a page — only to find no valuable content. This creates confusion and disappointment, as they waste time before deciding to leave.
Connection to SEO
While Google doesn’t directly penalize sites for 404s or soft 404s, poor engagement sends weak signals. If many visitors quickly leave your site, it can hurt performance on indirect ranking factors like user satisfaction and site quality. Keeping error pages under control helps protect these signals.
Common Causes of 404 and Soft 404 Errors
Deleted or Moved Pages Without Redirects
One of the most common reasons for both 404 and soft 404 errors is when pages are removed or URLs change, but no 301 redirect is put in place. This leaves users and search engines unable to find the content they expect.
Typos in Internal Links or Backlinks
Misspelled URLs in your site’s internal links, or in backlinks from other websites, can easily generate 404 errors. Even small mistakes in the link structure can cause big issues for user navigation and SEO.
CMS and Technical Misconfigurations
Content management systems (CMS) sometimes create broken URLs due to template errors, plugin conflicts, or settings that don’t handle removed content correctly — leading to soft 404s or broken links.
Auto-Generated Low-Value Pages
Certain e-commerce platforms or large sites can produce empty category pages or filtered URLs that don’t add value. If these return a 200 status but lack meaningful content, Google may classify them as soft 404s.
Best Practices to Manage Soft 404 Errors
Return Correct HTTP Status Codes
Always make sure that pages truly no longer available return a proper 404 or 410 (gone) status. This helps Google understand the page is gone and prevents unnecessary crawling or indexing.
Avoid Thin Placeholder Pages
Don’t leave empty or low-value pages with generic messages like “This product is no longer available” while returning a 200 (OK) status.
Either provide useful alternatives (related products, links to helpful content)
Or properly retire the URL with the correct status code
Consolidate Low-Value Pages
If you have multiple thin pages that don’t stand well on their own, consider merging them into a stronger, more comprehensive page. Use 301 redirects to point the old URLs to the new, consolidated content.
Use Tools to Identify Soft 404s
Regularly check for soft 404s using tools like:
Google Search Console (GSC): Google’s own reports will highlight suspected soft 404s.
Screaming Frog or other crawlers: Spot pages returning 200 status but offering no meaningful content.
Proactively managing soft 404s keeps your site cleaner and helps protect SEO value.
How to Monitor and Fix 404 and Soft 404 Errors
Use Reliable SEO Tools
Monitoring your site for errors is easier with the right tools:
Google Search Console: Shows both 404 and soft 404 issues flagged by Google.
Screaming Frog: Helps crawl your site and identify broken links or empty pages returning 200 status.
Ahrefs / SEMrush: Pinpoint 404 errors in your backlink profile and internal links.
Create a Redirect Map During Migrations
If you’re rebranding, changing domains, or restructuring your site, plan ahead. A clear 301 redirect map ensures old URLs point to the most relevant new pages, preserving SEO value and user experience.
Conduct Regular Crawl Audits
Make it a habit to schedule crawl audits (monthly or quarterly). This helps you catch new 404s or soft 404s early, before they can harm SEO performance. Staying proactive keeps your site clean, efficient, and search-friendly.
Do 404 and Soft 404 Errors Affect Backlink Equity?
What Happens to Backlinks Pointing to Dead Pages
When backlinks point to a page that returns a 404 error, their SEO value is essentially wasted. Google can’t pass the link equity from that backlink to any other page on your site because the destination no longer exists in the index. Over time, those links stop benefiting your domain at all.
How 301 Redirects Help Preserve Value
A 301 redirect ensures that link equity isn’t lost. By redirecting the old URL to a relevant, active page, you help transfer most of that backlink’s authority to the new location. This protects your hard-earned SEO strength and keeps your site’s link profile intact.
Soft 404s and Link Equity Risk
With soft 404s, Google may mistakenly keep indexing a low-value page. This means backlinks point to weak content, and their full authority isn’t properly distributed, ultimately weakening your SEO performance.
FAQ: 404 and Soft 404 Errors and SEO
Q1. Do a few 404 errors hurt my rankings?
No — Google understands that 404s happen naturally on any website. A few won’t negatively impact your rankings. The problem arises if important URLs go missing or if you have too many 404s, which can disrupt crawl efficiency, weaken your internal linking, and frustrate users — all of which can indirectly hurt SEO performance.
Q2. What’s the difference between a soft 404 and thin content?
A soft 404 happens when a page looks empty or unhelpful (like a “not found” message) but returns a 200 (OK) status, confusing search engines. Thin content, on the other hand, refers to low-value pages that offer minimal useful information. Thin content doesn’t always trigger a soft 404, but both can harm SEO if not addressed.
Q3. Should I redirect all 404 pages?
No — only redirect 404 pages when you have a relevant alternative that meets the user’s intent. Redirecting all 404s (for example, sending everything to the homepage) creates confusion for users and search engines. This practice can weaken your SEO by signaling a poor site structure and degrading the relevance of your redirects.
Q4. How do I create a good 404 page?
Design your 404 page to be helpful and user-friendly. Include:
- Clear, friendly messaging
- Links to popular or related content
- A search bar
- A call to action (like returning to the homepage)
This encourages visitors to stay on your site rather than bouncing.
Q5. How often should I audit for 404 errors?
Ideally, audit for 404s quarterly as part of your regular SEO checks. For large, dynamic, or e-commerce sites, consider monthly audits — especially after major updates, migrations, or content cleanups. Staying proactive helps avoid SEO issues before they grow.
Conclusion: Do 404 & Soft 404 Errors Matter for SEO?
While 404 and soft 404 errors don’t directly lower your Google rankings, they can cause indirect SEO issues if left unmanaged. From wasted crawl budget to broken internal links and lost backlink value, these errors can weaken your site’s visibility over time.
The key is to run regular audits, use tools like Google Search Console, and proactively fix issues through proper redirects or cleanup.
In short, 404 management is essential for maintaining a healthy SEO foundation — helping search engines focus on your best content and delivering a better experience for your users.