Soft 404 Diagnosis: Status Codes, Content, and Template Fixes

Learn what soft 404s are, how to detect them, and how to fix the empty results page scenario with correct status codes and content treatment.

What is a Soft 404?

A soft 404 is a response that misleads search engines about a page’s existence or usefulness. The most common form occurs when a server returns a `200 OK` status for a page that is essentially empty or provides no value to a user.

For example, a search results page that shows "No results found" but still returns a `200` status is a soft 404.

Conversely, a page that actually exists but returns a `404 Not Found` status is also considered a soft 404, because the server is incorrectly signaling that the page is missing.

Soft 404s are problematic because they waste crawl budget. Search engines allocate a limited number of crawls to each site; when they spend time on useless pages, they may miss important content.

Additionally, soft 404s can lead to low-quality pages being indexed, which dilutes the site’s overall quality in the eyes of search engines. This can harm the site’s ability to rank for relevant queries.

Common scenarios that produce soft 404s include:

– **Empty results pages**: A search or filter page returns no items but still returns a `200` status.
– **Deleted content without proper status codes**: When a page is removed, the server should return a `404` or `410`; if it returns `200` with a generic message, that’s a soft 404.
– **Redirect mistakes**: A redirect that points to a non-existent page or a page that returns `200` but is irrelevant.
– **Thin templates**: Pages that are generated from a template but contain little or no unique content, such as category pages with no products.

Understanding these scenarios is the first step in a systematic soft 404 diagnosis.

How to Detect Soft 404s

Detecting soft 404s requires a combination of tool-based analysis and manual content checks. Here is a structured approach:

1. **Use Google Search Console**: The Coverage report lists URLs that are "Crawled – currently not indexed." While not all such URLs are soft 404s, many are. Review this list for patterns, such as URLs that return `200` but have thin or empty content.

2. **Check HTTP status codes**: Use tools like `curl` or browser developer tools to inspect the status code returned for each suspicious URL. For example, run `curl -I [source URL] to see the status. A `200` on a page that shows no meaningful content is a red flag.

3. **Analyze page content**: Manually visit the page and evaluate whether it provides value. Ask: Does it contain unique information, or is it a blank template with a generic message? Does it answer a user’s query? If the page is essentially empty, it is a candidate for soft 404 classification.

4. **Look for patterns in your site structure**: Soft 404s often occur in predictable places, such as search result pages, faceted navigation, or archived content. Use a crawler tool (like Screaming Frog) to identify URLs that return `200` but have very low word counts or high similarity to other pages.

5. **Review server logs**: Analyze logs for URLs that return `200` but have high bounce rates or low time-on-page, as these may indicate content that doesn’t satisfy users.

Once you have a list of suspected soft 404s, classify them according to the scenarios described in the next sections.

Scenario 1: Empty Results Pages

Empty results pages are a classic source of soft 404s. These are pages that display a message like "No results found" or "No products match your criteria" but still return a `200 OK` status.

From a user’s perspective, the page is useless; from a search engine’s perspective, it is a low-quality page that should not be indexed.

**Correct status code**: For an empty results page, the appropriate status is `404 Not Found` or `410 Gone`. A `404` tells search engines that the page does not exist, prompting them to drop it from their index.

A `410` is even stronger, indicating that the page was intentionally removed and should be treated as permanently gone. Use `410` if you know the page will never return; otherwise, `404` is sufficient.

**Page treatment**: Even when returning a `404`, you can still provide a helpful user experience. Instead of a bare error message, include suggestions for other content, such as popular products, links to main categories, or a search box.

This keeps users engaged and reduces bounce rates. For example, an e-commerce site might show "No products found. Try these bestsellers instead."

**Link cleanup**: Remove internal links that point to these empty results pages.

If a navigation menu or a related-products section links to a URL that now returns a `404`, update those links to point to a relevant category or a search results page that actually returns results.

This prevents users and search engines from hitting dead ends.

**Implementation steps**:

– Identify all empty results pages by reviewing your site’s search and filter functionality.
– Change the server response for these pages from `200` to `404` (or `410`). This may require modifying your application’s routing logic.
– Update the page template to display helpful content when a `404` is returned.
– Audit your internal links to find any that point to these URLs and replace them with valid alternatives.
– After making changes, use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool to request re-indexing of the affected URLs, and monitor the Coverage report to ensure they are no longer indexed.

**Failure routes**: A common mistake is to return a `404` but still include a `noindex` meta tag. This is unnecessary and can confuse search engines.

Also, avoid returning a `200` with a `noindex` tag, as that does not solve the crawl budget issue—search engines still crawl the page.

Another pitfall is to redirect empty results pages to the homepage; this can be seen as a soft redirect and may not pass the right signals. Instead, use a `404` and provide on-page suggestions.

**Evidence boundary**: The methods described here are based on general SEO best practices and Google’s documentation on creating helpful content.

However, the specific impact of soft 404 fixes on rankings is not guaranteed; it is a hypothesis that should be tested with your own data over time.

### URL Sample Table

Use the following table to document your soft 404 diagnosis. Fill in the fields for each URL you analyze.

| URL | Scenario Type | Current Status Code | Correct Status Code | Treatment Recommendation |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| [Insert URL] | Empty results | 200 | 404 | Return 404 and add helpful suggestions |
| [Insert URL] | Deleted content | 200 | 410 | Return 410 and remove internal links |
| [Insert URL] | Redirect mistake | 301 to 200 | 404 | Fix redirect to point to valid page |
| [Insert URL] | Thin template | 200 | 404 | Return 404 or add unique content |

Download this table template to start diagnosing your site.

Scenario 2: Removed Content

When a page has been removed from your site but still returns a 200 OK status, search engines may index a useless page, wasting crawl budget and confusing users.

The first step in a soft 404 diagnosis is to identify such pages by checking server logs or using a crawler to find URLs that return 200 but lead to a “Page Not Found” message or similar.

Once identified, you must decide whether the removal is permanent or temporary. If the content is gone for good—for example, a product line discontinued or an old press release—return a **410 Gone** status.

This tells search engines to drop the page from their index quickly. If the removal is temporary, such as during a site redesign, a **404 Not Found** is appropriate, as it signals that the resource is currently unavailable but may return.

After setting the correct status, ensure the page is no longer accessible to users. This means removing any internal links that point to the removed URL.

Update navigation menus, footer links, and content links to point to relevant alternatives or to a category page.

If the page had external links, you cannot control those, but you can set up a redirect to a closely related page if that makes sense for user experience—though for permanently removed content, a 410 is often better than a redirect to an irrelevant page.

For example, if you remove a blog post about a discontinued product, you might redirect to the product category page or a similar article. However, if the page has no replacement, a 410 is the cleanest signal.

Document each removed URL in your URL sample table, noting the current status (200), the correct status (410 or 404), and the treatment recommendation (e. g. , “Remove internal links, return 410”).

Remember that soft 404s can also occur when a page returns 200 but shows a “no results” message, which is covered in other scenarios. For removed content, the key is to ensure the server response matches the content reality.

Scenario 3: Redirect Mistakes

Redirect mistakes are a common source of soft 404s.

A soft 404 can happen when a redirect is not implemented correctly, such as using a 200 status with a meta refresh or JavaScript redirect, or when a redirect chain leads to a page that returns 200 but has no relevant content.

In a soft 404 diagnosis, you need to check that all redirects are using the proper HTTP status codes.

For permanent moves, use a **301 Moved Permanently** status. This tells search engines to transfer ranking signals to the new URL. Avoid redirect chains—multiple redirects in a row—as they waste crawl budget and can dilute link equity.

For temporary moves, use a **302 Found** or **307 Temporary Redirect**, but be aware that these do not pass the same signals as a 301.

When you find a redirect that is not working correctly, first ensure the redirect target is relevant and exists. If the target returns a 404 or a soft 404, the redirect is useless.

For example, if you redirect an old product page to a category page that has no products, that category page might be a thin page, leading to another soft 404 scenario.

In such cases, update the redirect to point to a more relevant page, such as a search results page with results or a new product page.

Also, check for redirect chains. If URL A redirects to B, which redirects to C, update all links to point directly to C. This reduces server requests and improves crawl efficiency.

Use a crawler to identify chains and fix them by updating the original redirect.

In your URL sample table, record the URL, scenario type (Redirect Mistake), current status code (e.g., 200 with meta refresh), correct status code (301), and treatment recommendation (e.g., “Update redirect to 301 to final URL, remove chain”).

Scenario 4: Thin Templates

Thin templates are pages that have little or no unique content, often generated by a CMS for archive pages, tag pages, or parameter-based URLs. These pages may return 200 but offer no value to users, leading to soft 404s.

In a soft 404 diagnosis, you need to identify such pages by analyzing content length and uniqueness.

If a page has no value—for example, an empty search results page or a tag page with only one post—you have two options: either add substantial content to make it useful, or return a **404** or **410** status.

If the page can be improved, add unique text, images, or structured data that helps users. For instance, a tag page could include a description of the topic and links to related articles.

If the page cannot be improved, return a 404 or 410 to signal that it is not meant to be indexed. This is often the case for faceted navigation pages that create duplicate content.

In such cases, you might also consider using canonical tags or noindex directives, but for a true soft 404, the correct fix is to change the status code.

Link cleanup is crucial for thin templates. Remove internal links to low-quality pages, or consolidate them into a single, comprehensive page.

For example, if you have multiple thin category pages, merge them into one robust page that covers the topic in depth. This not only fixes the soft 404 but also improves overall site quality.

When documenting in your URL sample table, note the URL, scenario type (Thin Template), current status code (200), correct status code (404 or 410), and treatment recommendation (e.g., “Add content or remove page and update links”).

Retesting After Fixes

After implementing fixes for soft 404s, you must retest to ensure the issues are resolved. Start by using Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool to request re-indexing of the corrected URLs.

This tool allows you to see the status code that Google sees and to request indexing after the fix.

Monitor the Coverage report in Search Console to track the number of pages with errors. Over time, the count of soft 404s should decrease. If you still see errors, investigate whether your fixes were applied correctly.

For example, check that the server is returning the correct status code using a tool like cURL or a browser’s developer tools.

Regularly check server logs to confirm that the correct status codes are being served. This is especially important if you have many URLs to fix.

Automate this process where possible, using scripts to crawl your site and flag any URLs that return 200 but contain “not found” text.

Keep a record of your fixes in the URL sample table, updating the status after retesting. This table serves as a checklist to ensure no URL is missed. Remember that soft 404 diagnosis is an ongoing process, as new pages can be created with the same issues.

Schedule periodic audits to catch new soft 404s early.

Below is a sample URL table template to help you organize your diagnosis and fixes. Fill in the fields for each URL you identify.

| URL | Scenario Type | Current Status Code | Correct Status Code | Treatment Recommendation |
|—–|—————|———————|———————|————————–|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

Use this table to track your progress and ensure that every soft 404 is addressed. After applying fixes, retest each URL and update the table accordingly.

Next step

Download the URL sample table template to start diagnosing your site.