Difference between 404 Error and soft 404 Error?

Larisa Albanians  SEO Executive
The primary difference between a “404 Not Found” error and a soft 404 error is the status code. The former has a status code of 404 or 410, which implies that the page cannot be found. With a soft 404 error, the page is still not found. But instead of returning the 404 or 410 code, a “200 OK” code is returned
Apr 21st 2023 04:37 1 Likes  

MATECO WPC   WPC Manufacturer
A 404 error is an HTTP status code that indicates that the requested web page or resource cannot be found on the server. It usually occurs when a user tries to access a page that has been deleted, moved or renamed.

On the other hand, a soft 404 error occurs when a server returns a 200 OK status code instead of a 404 error code for a page that does not exist. This can happen when a website's server does not properly return a 404 error code, and instead serves up a page that looks like a 404 error page but has a 200 OK status code.

In other words, a soft 404 error occurs when a website's server sends a page that suggests the content has been removed or doesn't exist, but the server still returns a successful response code (200) instead of a 404 error code.

Soft 404 errors can be problematic for search engine optimization (SEO), as search engines may interpret them as low-quality content or an attempt to manipulate search rankings. Therefore, it's important for website owners to properly handle 404 errors and ensure that they return the appropriate HTTP status code.
Apr 24th 2023 21:02 1 Likes  

Zhi shang  Metallic material
Custom 404 error pages are a good way to provide a user experience, but often the impact on search engines is not noticed in the application process, such as incorrect server-side configuration resulting in a "200" status code return or Meta Refresh resulting in a "302" status code return for a custom 404 error page. A custom 404 error page that is properly set up should not only display correctly, but also return a "404" error code instead of "200" or "302." While it makes no difference to the accessing user whether the HTTP status code is "404" or "200," it matters to the search engine.
Apr 25th 2023 04:04 1 Likes  

ANTHONY UMEJURU  Internet Marketer
404 error is an HTTP status code that indicates that the requested web page or resource cannot be found on the server. It usually occurs when a user tries to access a page that has been deleted, moved or renamed.

On the other hand, a soft 404 error occurs when a server returns a 200 OK status code instead of a 404 error code for a page that does not exist. This can happen when a website's server does not properly return a 404 error code, and instead serves up a page that looks like a 404 error page but has a 200 OK status code.

In other words, a soft 404 error occurs when a website's server sends a page that suggests the content has been removed or doesn't exist, but the server still returns a successful response code (200) instead of a 404 error code.

Soft 404 errors can be problematic for search engine optimization (SEO), as search engines may interpret them as low-quality content or an attempt to manipulate search rankings. Therefore, it's important for website owners to properly handle 404 errors and ensure that they return the appropriate HTTP status code.
Apr 25th 2023 09:33 1 Likes  

Vindaloo Softtech  Vindaloo Softtech
Some of your unindexed pages may have the Google Search Console statuses "Not found (404)" and "Soft 404". Despite having very similar names and the potential to seriously harm your SEO, these two problems are absolutely unrelated:

Google cannot index your page in the case of "Not found (404)" because it returns a 404 HTTP response code because its content is missing,

In the "Soft 404" scenario, Google is perplexed by your page. Your server claims that the page is accessible, but its content appears to be missing.
Apr 28th 2023 03:42   

Dheeraj Sharma  Genuine Leather Goods | Leather Products
Custom 404 error pages are a good way to provide a user experience, but often the impact on search engines is not noticed in the application process, such as incorrect server-side configuration resulting in a "200" status code return or Meta Refresh resulting in a "302" status code return for a custom 404 error page. A custom 404 error page that is properly set up should not only display correctly but also return a "404" error code instead of "200" or "302." While it makes no difference to the accessing user whether the HTTP status code is "404" or "200," it matters to the search engine.
May 1st 2023 00:59 1 Likes  

Liz Seyi  Digital marketing manager
A 404 error happens when a page is not available and the server sends the correct HTTP status code — a 404 Not Found — to the browser telling the page is nowhere to be found. A soft 404 error happens when the server sends a 200 OK status for the requested page, but Google thinks that the page should return a 404.
May 23rd 2023 00:08   

Chris Arbutine  We buy antique items- Antique Jewelry Buyers
What is a 404 Error Code? What It Means and How to Fix It
The 404 code means that a server could not find a client-requested webpage.

Soft 404s can be caused by misspellings in URLs, by outdated links, or by problems with the server.
May 30th 2023 00:42   

achievers institute of education  Study Abroad Consultant in Delhi
404 ERROR MEANS IS PAGE NOT FOUND .WAIT & TRY AGAIN LATER
Jun 2nd 2023 07:54   

Don &.   All the way Go to >> Coatq com
its just error from web 404 might no found page for 100% but soft can work again after
Jul 11th 2023 12:27   

Mit K.  SEO
The primary difference between a “404 Not Found” error and a soft 404 error is the status code. The former has a status code of 404 or 410, which implies that the page cannot be found. With a soft 404 error, the page is still not found. But instead of returning the 404 or 410 code, a “200 OK” code is returned
Jul 13th 2023 07:51   

Mit K.  SEO
The primary difference between a “404 Not Found” error and a soft 404 error is the status code. The former has a status code of 404 or 410, which implies that the page cannot be found. With a soft 404 error, the page is still not found. But instead of returning the 404 or 410 code, a “200 OK” code is returned
Aug 4th 2023 01:10   

Andy Smith  Specialist retailer of leather garments and access
A "404 Error" and a "Soft 404 Error" are both related to HTTP status codes used by web servers to communicate the status of a requested web page to a user's browser, but they have different meanings and implications:

404 Error (Page Not Found): This error occurs when a web server cannot find the requested page or resource. It means that the URL the user requested does not exist on the server. This is a standard and well-understood HTTP status code, and it's displayed to the user when they try to access a non-existent page on a website. It's a clear indication that the requested resource is missing.

Soft 404 Error: A soft 404 error is a bit more nuanced. It occurs when a web server returns a "200 OK" status code (indicating that the page was found) but the content of the page suggests that it does not actually exist or is not what the user intended. For example, a web server might return a "200 OK" status code along with a page that says "Page Not Found" or "No Results Found," which can be confusing for both users and search engines. Soft 404 errors are often the result of poor website design or misconfigured server settings.

In summary, the main difference is in the HTTP status code returned:

404 Error: A clear indication that the requested page or resource does not exist.
Soft 404 Error: A confusing situation where the server returns a "200 OK" status code but the content suggests that the page is not what the user expected.
Webmasters and SEO professionals often aim to avoid soft 404 errors because they can negatively impact a website's search engine rankings and user experience. It's essential to configure your server and website correctly to return the appropriate HTTP status codes to accurately represent the status of web pages.
Sep 16th 2023 00:55   

Abi D.  Marketing
A "404 Error" correctly indicates that the requested resource does not exist on the server.
A "Soft 404 Error" incorrectly indicates that the resource exists when it does not, potentially causing confusion for both users and search engines.
Sep 18th 2023 22:24   

JNI Wholesale  Cosmetics Wholesaler in USA
A "404 Error" indicates that a web page is not found, typically due to a broken or deleted URL. On the other hand, a "Soft 404 Error" occurs when a web page returns a 200 OK status code (indicating a successful response) even though it should have been a 404 Error. This can confuse search engines and users, as it suggests the page exists when it does not, potentially impacting SEO and user experience.
Sep 28th 2023 01:10   

vinay k.   AFFILATE MARKETING. SEO
Custom 404 error pages are a good way to provide a user experience, but often the impact on search engines is not noticed in the application process, such as incorrect server-side configuration resulting in a "200" status code return or Meta Refresh resulting in a "302" status code return for a custom 404 error page. A custom 404 error page that is properly set up should not only display correctly, but also return a "404" error code instead of "200" or "302." While it makes no difference to the accessing user whether the HTTP status code is "404" or "200," it matters to the search engine.
Nov 19th 2023 23:28   

QuintEd Pty Ltd  The specialized online bookstore for dentistry
A "404 Error" correctly indicates that the requested resource does not exist on the server.
A "Soft 404 Error" incorrectly indicates that the resource exists when it does not, potentially causing confusion for both users and search engines.
Jan 14th 2024 23:12   

Claire Divas  Sell
A 404 error occurs when a user requests a webpage that cannot be found on the server, typically due to a broken link or a page that has been deleted. On the other hand, a soft 404 error occurs when a page is accessed that may exist on the server, but its content suggests that it is essentially a non-existent or empty page. Soft 404s often arise when a server incorrectly returns a success status code (200 OK) instead of the appropriate 404 status code. While both errors indicate issues with accessing requested content, a 404 error specifically denotes an undisputed absence of the requested page, while a soft 404 implies a potential misconfiguration or misleading server response.
Feb 6th 2024 03:53   

Luke Bizwize  Consultant
A 404 error happens when a page is not available and the server sends the correct HTTP status code — a 404 Not Found — to the browser telling the page is nowhere to be found. A soft 404 error happens when the server sends a 200 OK status for the requested page, but Google thinks that the page should return a 404
Feb 15th 2024 06:31