Most Common Causes of Soft 404 Error

 

Have you ever landed on a webpage that technically exists but feels empty or pointless? Maybe it's just a "Product out of stock" notice, or an old blog with two lines of text. Google looks at these kinds of pages and often labels them as soft 404 soft errors, and that can quietly hurt your SEO.   

 

The tricky part? These errors don't come with a big red warning like a normal 404 error. Instead, they sit in the background, making search engines waste time crawling pages that don't really help your visitors.   

 

That's why in this blog, we'll break it down in detail and see what a soft 404 error is, the causes of soft 404 errors, and how to fix soft 404 errors, so that your website can shine. 

 

Ready to clear up the confusion and boost your site's health? Then let's get started!  

  

What is a Soft 404 Error? 

 

To understand a soft 404 error, you first need to know what a normal (or "hard") 404 is.  

 

A hard 404 happens when you try to access a page that doesn't exist anymore. The server responds with a 404 Not Found (or sometimes a 410 Gone) status code. That tells your search engines that "This page doesn't exist. Move on."  

 

A soft 404, on the other hand, happens when your server responds with a 200 OK status code (which means "everything's fine, the page exists") but the content says otherwise. It might have almost no information, just a "not found" message, or content that makes no sense for the URL.  

 

Let's understand this with an example:   

• Hard 404: The bouncer at the club says, "Sorry, this club doesn't exist anymore."  
• Soft 404: The bouncer says, "Welcome inside!" But when you walk in, the room is empty with a note saying, "Club closed."  

 

Google's crawlers are smart enough to catch this mismatch. When they see a page that claims to exist but has no real value, they treat it as a soft 404.   

 

The result? Google might de-index the page, ignore its links, or waste crawl budget crawling pages that don't matter.  

 

So, let's move on and look at the causes of soft 404 error.   

  

What Causes a Soft 404 Error?  

 

Now that you know what they are, let's look at the common reasons websites end up with soft 404s. Spotting these errors is the first step towards a healthier and more crawlable website. Here are the most common reasons:   

  

1. Empty or Thin Content Pages  

 

This is the most common reason for a soft 404 error. Pages that have very little content or duplicate text usually get flagged. For example:  

 

• Product pages where the item or the product is out of stock, and the page only says "Sold Out".  
• Category pages with no products listed. 
• Blog posts that were started but never finished (just a title and a line or two).  
• Test or staging pages that were accidentally left public.  

 

Google looks at these and thinks, "This page exists, but it adds no real value." 

 

2. Custom 404 Pages Set Up Wrong 

 

Custom 404 pages are awesome for users because they give a friendly "Oops, page not found" message instead of a scary blank screen. 

 

But here's the catch: sometimes, these custom pages are set up incorrectly. Instead of telling Google "This page is missing" with a proper 404 or 410 status code, the server mistakenly says "This page is fine" with a 200 OK code. 

 

That mismatch confuses search engines and makes them treat your error page like a real page, which is exactly what causes a soft 404. 

 

3. Broken Pages Showing as Normal   

 

Sometimes server or database issues prevent a page from loading properly. Instead of returning an error, the server shows a half-loaded page or a generic error message but still responds with 200 OK. Google crawls it, sees broken or empty content, and flags it as a soft 404.  

 

4. Redirects to Unrelated Pages (or Homepage) 

 

Redirects are powerful, but they're often misused. A common mistake is redirecting all deleted pages to the homepage or to a category that has nothing to do with the original page. 

 

From Google's perspective, this isn't helpful; it's like asking for a specific book and being sent to the library's front door. 

 

5. Temporary Glitches During Updates   

 

During migrations, redesigns, or plugin updates, some pages may temporarily appear blank or broken while still returning 200 OK. If Google crawls them at that time, they might get flagged. 

 

How to Fix Soft 404 Error? 

 

Spotting soft 404s in Google Search Console is the first step. You'll find them under the Pages report - Not found (soft 404). Once you know where they are, here's how to fix soft 404 error: 

 

1. Use the Correct HTTP Status Codes  

 

If a page is genuinely gone and has no replacement, make sure your server responds with the proper code: 404 Not Found or 410 Gone. A 410 is even stronger, as it signals to Google that the page is permanently removed and shouldn't be crawled again. 

 

Also, double-check that your custom 404 page is set up the right way.  Many websites design beautiful "Page Not Found" screens, but if they return a 200 OK status instead of 404/410, Google gets the wrong message. Use an online HTTP status checker to verify the response. 

 

2. Improve or Consolidate Thin Content  

 

For pages that are too light on content, don't delete them right away. Instead, make them more useful by adding detailed descriptions, FAQs, images, videos, reviews, or related internal links.  

 

If it's a product page, don't just leave it with "Sold Out." Offer alternative products, show reviews, or add a sign-up form so users can get notified when it's back in stock. 

If a page really can't be improved, for example, it's a test page or a blog draft, either merge the information into another relevant page and set up a redirect or delete it completely and serve a 404/410. 

 

3. Redirect the Right Way  

 

Redirects are powerful for preserving SEO value, but only if used properly. If a page has moved or there's a new equivalent, set up a 301 redirect to the most relevant page. This helps transfer link equity and maintains a good user experience.  

 

What you want to avoid are "catch-all" redirects, like sending every deleted page to your homepage or a random category. This is confusing for both users and Google. If there's no suitable replacement, it's better to return a 404 or 410 instead of forcing a generic redirect. 

4. Audit and Update Internal Links 

 

Often, soft 404s exist because other pages on your website are still linking to them. Run a site audit on tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or even GSC, and find where those links live. Update them so they point to live, relevant pages instead of broken ones. 

This not only improve your SEO but also make sure that visitors don't run into dead ends while browsing your site.  

5. Monitor with Google Search Console 

 

Google Search Console is one of the best tool to spot and fix soft 404s. Check the Pages report regularly to see what Google is flagging.  

 

Once you've applied a fix, don't just wait around. Use the Validate Fix button in GSC to tell Google to re-crawl the page sooner. This helps speed up the process of getting those soft 404s cleared from your reports.  

6. Check Server and CMS Settings 

 

Sometimes, the issue isn't with your content but with your setup. Content Management System (CMS) platforms like WordPress, Shopify, Magento, etc., or certain plugins can interfere with how your server works. 

 

So, instead of sending the correct error code for a missing page, they might mistakenly send a ‘200 OK' signal, making Google think the page is fine when it actually isn't." 

 

Review your server configuration and CMS settings to make sure they're aligned. If you're not comfortable with technical fixes, this is a good time to involve your developer or hosting support to get everything corrected.  

 

Summary  

 

Soft 404s don't seem like a big deal, but they can quietly undermine your SEO. They waste crawl budget, confuse search engines, and weaken your site's authority, but with a little maintenance, you can fix them.  

 

Keep your content valuable, use redirects wisely, and send the right signals with HTTP codes. The clearer your site is for Google, the better it will perform in search.  

 

So, take a peek at your Search Console today, hunt down those soft 404s, and kick them out for good.