You opened the Page indexing report in Search Console and one of the reasons says "Soft 404." Nothing looks broken when you click around your site, and now you want to know whether this is a real problem or just noise.
A soft 404 is a URL that returns a normal "200 OK" response while its content looks missing, empty or unavailable. Google excludes the soft 404 pages it detects from Search. Whether that matters depends on the page, so each URL on the list gets its own answer.
You can sort the list yourself, usually in one sitting. Some pages need repair, some need a proper "not found" response, and some need one redirect.
Key Takeaways
The page says "missing" or looks empty, but the server answers "200 OK," so Google leaves it out of Search.
Repair a page that should stay live, return a 404 or 410 for a page that is gone for good, and use a relevant 301 redirect for a page that moved.
Google warns against redirecting deleted URLs to the homepage when the two have no meaningful relationship.
Click Validate Fix after the repair; Google says it may take about two weeks in typical cases.
What does a soft 404 mean in Search Console?
Google's troubleshooting page for crawling errors defines a soft 404 as a URL that sends back HTTP 200 OK while its content shows that the page does not exist, is empty, or is effectively an error page. Search Console's Page indexing report help describes it as a "user-friendly 'not found' message but not a 404 HTTP response code."
A visitor sees a friendly "sorry, nothing here" message. The server, meanwhile, tells every crawler the page is fine. Those two signals disagree, and Google goes with what it sees on the page.
Google may decide that from visible text, from the rendered page, from resources that failed to load, from an empty internal search result, from a broken database connection or from a prominent error message. As of October 2026, that is how Google describes it.
Is a soft 404 a real problem for my site?
Sometimes yes, and sometimes it is the report doing its job. The label applies to one URL at a time. It is not a penalty on your whole site, and it does not mean your server is down.
The question to ask for each URL is simple: should this page exist? If it should, Google is leaving a page out of Search that you want people to find, and that is worth fixing. If the page was removed on purpose, Google has noticed that your site still answers "200 OK" for something that no longer exists, and the fix is a correct response.
Google's 404 errors help says 404 errors do not generally harm search performance when the URLs are genuinely unwanted and have no replacement. So, a removed page showing up on the list is routine housekeeping, not an emergency.
How do I find and check my soft 404 URLs?
Start in Search Console and pick the correct property. Open Page indexing, find "Why pages aren't indexed," and click the "Soft 404" reason if it appears. The table of examples can hold up to 1,000 URLs, so export it where the report allows.
Then check the pages themselves before changing anything. Work through these steps in order:
- Open one or two representative URLs in a private browser window.
- Note what each one shows: a real page, an empty archive, an unavailable product, an error message or a redirect.
- Paste the URL into URL Inspection and run "Test live URL."
- Click "View tested page" to see the rendered result Google got.
- Write down whether the page should stay live, move or disappear.
Google's URL Inspection help covers the tool in detail. The last step is the one that saves you from mistakes. Classify every URL first, then fix, because the same label can hide three different problems.
Which fix does each page need: repair, redirect or remove?
The right fix follows from what the page should be. Google's troubleshooting page gives one answer for each case, and the table puts them side by side.
| What the URL is | What Google recommends | Typical job size |
|---|---|---|
| A page that should stay live | Make sure the main content and critical resources load for Googlebot, remove misleading error wording, and inspect the rendered page | Small to medium; medium if a template or script is failing |
| A page removed for good, with no replacement | Return 404 Not Found or 410 Gone | Small |
| A page that moved to a relevant new URL | Use a permanent 301 redirect | Small for one URL; medium to large for a migration |
| An empty archive or search page | Add real content, mark it noindex on purpose, or stop serving it as an indexable page | Small template setting to medium theme work |
A removed page also needs a clean exit. Take it out of your internal links and your sitemap where that makes sense, and give visitors a useful error page with a way back to your main sections.
Google treats 404 and 410 similarly for Search, so you do not need a 410 for every deletion. The HTTP standard, RFC 9110, defines 404 as the server not finding a current representation of the resource and 410 as a resource that is likely permanently unavailable.
Should I redirect a deleted page to my homepage?
Not unless the homepage is a true replacement. Google specifically warns against redirecting deleted URLs to the homepage when there is no meaningful relationship between the two pages.
Send a moved page to the page that now covers the same topic, using a permanent 301. If a discontinued product has a close successor, point it there. If nothing comparable exists, let the old URL return a 404 or 410.
A page that works for visitors but fails in Google's rendered view is a different case. That page needs debugging, not deletion and not a redirect. Look at what failed to load in the tested page, such as a script, an API call, a database request or an image or style file the page depends on.
Our posts on fixing broken links and 404 errors and on how to update, merge or delete old pages go further on the page-by-page decisions.
Why do soft 404s show up on WordPress, Shopify, Wix and Squarespace?
The causes follow how each platform handles missing or changed content. Each platform's own help pages are the place to confirm the exact steps for your plan.
WordPress can generate empty category, tag, date, author, custom taxonomy and internal search-result pages. WordPress Learn describes archive pages and search results that show a "no posts" template when nothing matches. A theme or plugin can still send 200 OK with that template, which is the soft 404 pattern.
On Shopify, a product URL can stop working after the product is deleted or its handle changes. Shopify's help page on creating and managing URL redirects recommends redirects for broken URLs and for similar replacement products.
Wix's page on changing your page URL says a 301 redirect is created automatically when a page URL changes on eligible connected sites. Deleted or changed pages without a relevant redirect can still end up as not-found states.
Squarespace's console errors help lists removed pages, changed slugs and pages with phrases such as "not in stock" or "no longer available" among the things that may contribute to crawl or soft 404 problems. Its page on sold-out products explains that sold-out items can stay live with a waitlist, and its URL mappings page covers redirects.
How do I validate the fix, and how long does it take?
Once the cause is fixed, go back to Search Console. For one important URL, run URL Inspection and request indexing. Then open the Soft 404 issue details and click "Validate Fix."
Validation can take several days. Google says it may take about two weeks in typical cases, so a list that still looks the same the next morning is not a sign the fix failed.
Resubmitting URLs that have not changed adds nothing. Wait for the validation result, and check that your internal links and sitemap no longer point at pages you removed or moved.
What can I stop worrying about?
Stop treating every soft 404 entry as proof that your whole site has been penalized. The label applies to identified URLs, and a page that was removed on purpose is a routine entry.
Stop sending every removed page to the homepage just to make the report look cleaner. Stop assuming a 410 is required for each deletion. And stop requesting indexing for URLs you have not changed.
The question that matters is whether each URL has a useful, intended destination and whether its response matches that purpose. Pages that load their main content, moved pages that reach a closely related page, and removed pages that return a correct not-found status all point the same way.
If the report shows pages that quietly stopped working after an update, our post on a website quietly breaking its own SEO covers the wider pattern.
Do I need paid SEO help to fix a soft 404?
Often you do not. A single removed page with no replacement needs a correct 404 or 410. One changed URL may need a single 301 redirect. Both are small jobs.
Help makes sense when the list is large, the site was recently migrated, a page is valid but renders wrongly for Google, product availability changes on its own, or one template or redirect rule affects many URLs at once. In those cases the work is classification and repair: deciding which URLs live, move or go, fixing the platform behavior, checking links and sitemaps, and validating a sample of pages.
Pay for diagnosis, migration mapping, template repair or ongoing maintenance only when your site's size calls for it. A fair quote names which URLs need work and which need none.
Can you sort your soft 404 list?
Pick an answer to begin.
1. What is a soft 404?
2. A product page was removed for good and no similar product exists. What fits best?
3. A page works for visitors, but Google's tested page shows it empty. What should you do?
Frequently Asked Questions About Soft 404
Is a soft 404 the same as a normal 404?
No. A normal 404 sends the proper not-found status. A soft 404 usually sends 200 OK while the page looks missing or unavailable.
Should I redirect every soft 404?
No. Redirect only when a clearly relevant replacement exists. Otherwise return a 404 or 410, or repair the page if it should stay live.
Should a deleted page return 404 or 410?
Either works for content that is gone for good with no replacement. Google currently treats them similarly for Search.
Does a soft 404 mean my whole site is penalized?
No. The label points to specific URLs. Check those pages one at a time.
What if the page works fine when I open it?
Run URL Inspection, click "Test live URL," and use "View tested page" to see what Google rendered. A page that works for you can still fail to load key content for Google.
Should I redirect an out-of-stock product?
Keep it live when it is still useful, with alternatives or a waitlist if the platform supports it. Redirect it to a closely related replacement only when it is permanently discontinued.
Wrapping Up
A soft 404 means a page answers "200 OK" while it looks missing, empty or unavailable, and Google leaves it out of Search. Open Page indexing, list the example URLs, check a few in a private window and in URL Inspection, and decide for each one whether it should live, move or go. Repair the pages that should stay, redirect the ones with a close replacement, and let the rest return a 404 or 410.
Done once and done by URL, this cleans up what Google can use from your site and stops old pages from sending mixed signals. Recurring causes such as empty archives, changing product stock and renamed pages are easier to keep under control with regular website maintenance.
If your list is long, your site recently moved, or a page works for visitors but fails for Google, Web Leveling can sort it with you. Our search engine optimization work covers URL classification, redirect mapping and validation. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. Send us your Soft 404 list, and we will tell you which pages need work and which need none.
Terms
Soft 404 words to know
Tap a term to see what it means.
Soft 404. A URL that returns 200 OK while its content looks missing, empty or unavailable.
404 Not Found. The status a server sends when it does not find a current version of the requested page.
410 Gone. The status for a page that is likely permanently unavailable.
301 redirect. A permanent redirect that sends visitors and Google from an old URL to a new one.
Page indexing report. The Search Console report that shows which pages are indexed and why others are not.
URL Inspection. The Search Console tool that shows how Google sees one page, including a live test and a rendered view.
