404 Not Found Error: Meaning and Fixes

Category: Errors & Troubleshooting · Updated 2026-10-30

A 404 Not Found is an HTTP status code meaning the server was reached but there is no page or file at the requested address. It is a client-side request problem, such as a wrong URL or a deleted page, not a server crash. Fix it by restoring the page or by adding a 301 redirect to the right one.

What a 404 error means

The browser connected to the web server successfully, and the server answered that it knows no resource at that URL. Because the server itself responded, this differs from a 5xx error such as a 500 Internal Server Error, where the server failed. Browsers show it as "404 Not Found", "Page not found" or "The requested URL was not found on this server".

Common causes

The visitor mistyped the URL.
The page was deleted, renamed or moved without a redirect.
A link on your site or another site points to a wrong address.
The URL slug changed after editing a post or changing permalink settings.
On Linux servers, file names are case sensitive, so Page.html and page.html are different files.
Missing rewrite rules on a CMS, so pretty URLs are not routed to the application.
A file was not uploaded to the correct folder.

How to fix 404 errors on your website

Check the URL for typos, extra characters and the right case.
Confirm the file exists in the right folder (for example public_html).
Set up a 301 redirect from old URLs to the new page.
In WordPress, go to Settings, then Permalinks and click Save to regenerate rewrite rules.
Check .htaccess for missing or broken rules.
Fix internal links that point to missing pages.
Review Google Search Console for crawl errors listing 404 URLs that still get links or traffic.

A permanent redirect in Apache looks like this:

Redirect 301 /old-page/ https://example.com/new-page/

404 and SEO

A few 404 pages are normal and do not harm a site's rankings, because search engines understand that pages get removed. Problems appear when important pages that have backlinks or traffic return 404, since the value of those links is lost, or when the site returns a 200 status for pages that do not exist (a soft 404). If a page is gone for good, a 404 or the more explicit 410 Gone is fine. If it moved, use a 301 redirect.

Create a helpful custom 404 page

A good 404 page keeps the site header and navigation, says clearly that the page was not found, offers a search box and links to popular sections, and still returns the real 404 status code, not 200. This keeps visitors on the site and prevents soft 404 warnings.

Frequently asked questions

What does a 404 error mean?

A 404 error means the server could not find anything at the requested URL. The server itself is working, but the page or file does not exist at that address.

Is a 404 error the visitor's fault or the website's fault?

It can be either. The visitor may have mistyped the address, or the site owner may have deleted or moved a page without a redirect. Site owners should fix broken links and redirect moved pages.

Do 404 errors hurt SEO?

Occasional 404s do not hurt rankings. Important pages that disappear lose their ranking and the value of their backlinks, so redirect them with a 301. A large number of broken internal links also hurts the user experience.

What is the difference between a 404 and a 410 error?

A 404 says the resource was not found, without saying whether it will return. A 410 Gone says it was removed permanently, which can help search engines drop the URL from the index sooner.

What is a soft 404?

A soft 404 is a page that tells visitors it does not exist but returns a 200 OK status code, or that has almost no content. Search engines flag these because the status code does not match the content. Return a real 404 or redirect instead.

How do I fix a 404 error in WordPress?

Open Settings, Permalinks and click Save Changes to refresh the rewrite rules, check that the .htaccess file exists and is writable, verify the post slug, and set up a redirect if the URL changed.