404 Error Page (2024)

FAQs

What is an error 404 page? ›

A 404 error page (also known as “404 not found”) is an error message that is designed to appear when a website won't load. For example, if your website isn't loading or a user attempts to reach a non-existent page on the website, then the 404 error page is supposed to load instead and explain the problem.

A 404 error page should always include the following: A clear message that lets visitors know that the requested page doesn't exist. A call to action (CTA) that keeps users on your site or directs them where you want them to go. An introduction to your brand's voice through the page's text or images.

In computer network communications, the HTTP 404, 404 not found, 404, 404 error, page not found, or file not found error message is a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) standard response code, to indicate that the browser was able to communicate with a given server, but the server could not find what was requested.

A 404 error message means that a resource (webpage) no longer exists. If you see a 404 error for a specific URL in your Google Search Console account, it is because the URL is redirecting to a page that no longer exists. This may occur if the page was deleted, or the page URL was changed.

A 404 error means that the page can't be found. Usually, this happens when the URL or its content was deleted or moved. 404 errors are bad for the user experience and bad for SEO — Google will classify your site as unreliable if it sees that a page that had previously existed is no longer available.

Many factors can cause error 404 not found, including: Moved or deleted page. Sometimes, the page's content may have been deleted or moved without fixing the broken link. Mistyped URL.

Some 404s you want to fade and naturally go away on their own because it's a signal to Google that the page is dead. Google's Susan Moskwa commented that Google will stop looking at pages that result in 404s over time: After seeing that a URL repeatedly 404s, we stop crawling it.

A 404 page is what a user sees when they try to access a web page that does not exist. It can be frustrating for the user and bad for your website's reputation. But it doesn't have to be always that way. Custom error pages are great for addressing poor user experience caused by missing pages or by not found errors.

What is the most common error 404? ›

A 404 error happens when you try to access a resource on a web server (usually a web page) that doesn't exist. Some reasons for this can be a broken link, a mistyped URL, or that the webmaster has moved the requested page somewhere else (or deleted it).

A 404 status code only indicates that the resource is missing: not whether the absence is temporary or permanent. If a resource is permanently removed, use the 410 (Gone) status instead.