404 errors frustrate users and waste your crawl budget. Here's how to find and fix broken links on your website.
What is a 404 Error?
A 404 "Page Not Found" error occurs when a URL doesn't exist. This happens when pages are deleted, URLs change, or links contain typos.
Why 404s Hurt SEO
- Waste crawl budget on non-existent pages
- Create poor user experience
- Lose link equity from inbound links
- Signal poor site maintenance to Google
Finding 404 Errors
Google Search Console
Check the Coverage report for "Not found (404)" errors.
Site Crawlers
Use Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to crawl your site and find broken internal links.
Google Analytics
Look for traffic to your 404 page to identify broken external links.
Fixing 404 Errors
Option 1: Restore the Page
If the page was deleted accidentally, restore it.
Option 2: 301 Redirect
Redirect the broken URL to a relevant existing page. This preserves link equity.
Option 3: Update Internal Links
Find and update all internal links pointing to the broken URL.
Option 4: Let It 404
If the content is truly gone and there's no relevant replacement, a 404 is appropriate. Google will eventually stop crawling it.
Preventing Future 404s
- Always redirect when deleting or moving pages
- Use relative URLs for internal links when possible
- Run regular site audits
- Create a custom 404 page with helpful navigation
Related: Technical SEO Guide
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