4xx client errors: find and fix 404 pages

What it means

A client error (4xx) response means Googlebot reached the URL but the server returned an error status instead of usable content. Common examples are 404 (not found), 401 (unauthorized), 403 (forbidden), and 411 (length required). These are distinct from server errors (5xx), which are handled differently.

Why it matters

Google treats 4xx responses as a signal that the content is unusable. Previously indexed pages with persistent 4xx status are removed from the index, and crawl frequency decays over time. If a site is returning soft 404s — 2xx responses with empty or error-like content — the problem compounds because the page looks indexed but isn't actually usable.

How to fix it

1. Identify which URLs are returning 4xx status and confirm whether the content should exist.
2. Return a real 404 or 410 for pages that are genuinely gone rather than redirecting them to the homepage (which usually becomes a soft 404).
3. Ensure the page actually serves content instead of an error template — check the raw HTML, not just the status code.
4. Verify that the 4xx is not a temporary network issue; persistent errors are what matter for indexing.

When it's not a problem

A 4xx on a page that is intentionally excluded from the index (via noindex or a password) is not a problem. Similarly, a 404 on a URL that was never meant to be indexed — such as a pagination parameter or a temporary action endpoint — is fine and does not hurt ranking.

How common is it?

2673 audited sites in our corpus currently show this issue. The breakdowns below show which platforms, gatekeepers, verticals and countries are most exposed.

Related guides

• Crawl Budget: What It Is and How to Manage It
• HTTP Status Codes for SEO: 2xx-5xx Explained
• Internal Linking for SEO: Structure & Anchors
• Soft 404s: What They Are and How to Fix Them