Soft 404
TL;DR
A soft 404 is a page returning HTTP 200 but functioning as a 404 error page, confusing Google about the real status.
A soft 404 arises when your server returns 200 OK while the page should signal 'not found'. Examples: sold-out product still present with 'product not found' text, empty search-result pages, homepage redirects without content match. Google detects this well now and reports it in Search Console.
Example
A shop shows 'This product is currently unavailable' at sold-out product URLs, status 200. Google classifies as soft 404 and removes URL from index.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fix soft 404s?
Three options: (1) serve real 404/410, (2) 301 to relevant alternative, (3) fill page with valuable content.
Related terms
Further reading
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