Soft 404 Errors
URLs that don't exist on your site return '200 OK' instead of a real 404. Search engines are indexing pages that aren't there.
Quick Answer
To fix soft 404s, configure your server or CMS to return a real HTTP 404 (or 410) status code for URLs that don't exist, instead of a 200 with a 'not found' page. This stops search engines from indexing broken URLs as if they were real content.
The Problem
A soft 404 happens when a missing page returns HTTP status 200 ("OK") along with a "page not found" message. The visitor sees an error, but search engines see a successful page and index it — filling your search presence with URLs that lead nowhere.
Why It Matters
Soft 404s waste your crawl budget, dilute your site's perceived quality, and can get flagged in Google Search Console's Coverage report. They make it harder for Google to understand which of your pages are real.
How to Fix It
Test it: visit a URL on your site that definitely doesn't exist and check the HTTP status (DevTools → Network tab, or a tool like httpstatus.io).
If it returns 200, configure your server/CMS to send a real 404 status for unknown URLs.
On WordPress, ensure your theme's 404.php template is in place and your host isn't rewriting error pages to 200.
For permanently removed pages, return 410 (Gone) or set up a 301 redirect to a relevant page.
Submit your sitemap and check Google Search Console's Coverage report to confirm soft 404s are cleared.
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