A browser or search engine crawler sends 404 error happens when error happens when request to fetch a page. The response code indicates the page’s status. There is a lengthy list of HTTP status codes, and each one specifies a different set of circumstances. In this blog post, we will describe the distinction between 404 and soft 404 errors. Read on to find out!

What is Error 404?

A 404 error meaning or status code indicates that the requested Web page could not be located or is no longer accessible. 

Generally, a 404 error happens when:

An error in the URL

When a user types in the wrong URL or a page links to the wrong URL, URL errors can occur. Incorrect URLs cause a 404 status code because they direct users to nonexistent pages.

Page removal

When a page has a status code of 404, it indicates that the page has been removed, either purposefully or by accident.

How to Fix 404 Errors

The first step is to list every URL on the website that a search engine can find and that returns a 404 error. Two tools can help you with this: running crawling tools like DeepCrawl, Screaming Frog, and others through your website, and the Coverage report in Google Search Console. Once you’ve compiled a list of these URLs, try to determine whether the problem is with the URL itself or whether the page has been removed. This step is crucial because it will show you what needs to be fixed.

Fixing Linking Errors

One of your website’s links may be broken. Broken links can be time-consuming to find on a website. DeepCrawl, Screaming Frog, and others can find broken links quickly. Once identified, you can fix the linking errors easily.