A 404 error message is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) status code showing the server could not locate the requested website. In other words, your web browser can unite with the server, but the specific page you’re attempting to access can’t be reached. There are different sorts of HTTP errors, but 404 errors are the most obvious.
At some point in your web browsing experience, you’ve unquestionably come across a 404 error message. You typed in a URL or clicked a link to take you to a new page but suddenly gasp “Page Not Found.”
It’s not uncommon to see these types of errors while you’re surfing the web, but when you get one on your website, swiftly, you’ve got a difficulty. In this post, we’ll go over what an HTTP 404 error message means, why websites get them, and what you can do to fix any you may encounter on your website.
Various browsers and servers may use somewhat varied specifications when delivering an HTTP 404 error message, but it all indicates the same thing. Here are some of the most common ways you’ll see this error displayed:
- 404 Error
- 404 Not Found
- Error 404
- 404 File or Directory Not Found
- HTTP 404 Not Found
- The requested URL was not found on this server
- HTTP 404
- Error 404 Not Found
- 404 Page Not Found
How to fix HTTP 404 Error
Possibilities are, you have some HTTP 404 errors on your site. That’s common. Most websites will have 404 errors at some point in time, but you must get them and fix them as expeditiously as feasible continually. Now, the most important part: What can you do on your end to get a fix of an HTTP 404 error.
The most accessible and most comfortable way to fix a 404 error is to redirect the page to another one, using a “301” redirect. A 301 is an answer code that signals to a user’s browser that your content has moved to a new URL.
Companies need to update and fine-tune their sites regularly. Infrequently, this can mean deleting a page. However, just because you lift a page from your website, that doesn’t stop people from searching for it or clicking on links from old, old collateral. When deleting pages, be assured to redirect them to pages with related content.
We’re all human beings, and mistakes can happen even when creating hyperlinks. If this is the case, go back and fix the URL.
The most accessible way to obtain 404 errors is via Google Search Console. If you’ve already verified your site, then Google is previously crawling it. You just require to log into your account, click the “Crawl” dropdown menu, and click on “Crawl Errors.”
If you have an enterprise-level site, or if you maintain multiple websites, then ahrefs’ tools may be a good fit for you. Their Broken Link Checker is exceptionally easy to use.