Fixing and Preventing 404 Errors

What is a 404 Error?

A 404 error means the requested page doesn't exist. This frustrates visitors and hurts your SEO.

Causes of 404 Errors

Deleted Pages

Pages were removed without a redirect.

Typos in URLs

Mistyped links in your content.

Changed URL Structure

Permalinks were changed without redirects.

Finding 404 Errors

Google Search Console shows which URLs return 404 errors. Also check your server logs.

Solutions

301 Redirects

Point old URLs to their new locations.

Fixing Links

Correct internal links that point to non-existent pages.

A Custom 404 Page

Build a user-friendly 404 page with navigation and a search function.