In short. A soft 404 is a success response whose content indicates a missing page or lacks main content.
Definition: A soft 404 is a URL that returns an HTTP success response, usually
200, while displaying an error message indicating missing content. An empty page or a page without main content can also produce this classification.
Key facts
- As of October 2026, Google's HTTP status documentation explains that a success response can produce a soft 404 report when the content suggests an error.
- Google's crawling error guidance says that pages detected as soft 404s are excluded from Search.
- The Page indexing report documentation recommends a live URL inspection and a rendered screenshot to investigate this classification.
How does a success response become a soft 404?
An HTTP status code is a server's response code for a request from a browser or crawler. Google's HTTP status documentation explains that a 200 response passes the received content to Google's indexing pipeline, the system that processes pages for inclusion in Search. The content can still indicate that the requested page is missing.
Google's crawling error guidance gives concrete causes: a broken database connection, an empty internal search result page, a missing server-side include file, or a JavaScript file that fails to load. The classification therefore requires checking what Google receives as well as the status code.
Which response fits missing or moved content?
Google's crawling error guidance recommends 404 (not found) or 410 (gone) when content is removed and no replacement with similar content exists. A custom error page can retain the site's navigation and provide helpful links while the server returns 404.
For content that moves or has a clear replacement, the same guidance recommends 301, a permanent redirect that sends visitors to the new location. The URL Inspection tool can verify the returned code. The choice follows the actual state of the content: deletion calls for a missing-content response, while a move calls for a redirect to the replacement.
How is a flagged page checked?
Google's Page indexing report help describes running a live URL inspection and selecting View tested page to see a screenshot of Google's rendered page. Rendering means producing the page's displayed content, including content loaded through JavaScript.
For a page that still exists, Google's crawling error guidance recommends examining both the rendered content and the returned HTTP code. A blank or nearly blank result can reflect resources blocked by robots.txt, the file that controls crawler access, or resources that load slowly or encounter server errors. A prominent error message during rendering can also trigger the classification.
What about JavaScript applications?
A single-page application can handle page changes in the browser through JavaScript. Google's JavaScript SEO documentation explains that meaningful HTTP status codes can be impractical with this routing approach.
For error pages, the documentation offers a JavaScript redirect to a URL whose server returns 404, such as /not-found, or adding this robots meta tag through JavaScript:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
The noindex value instructs Google to exclude the page from its index. The same documentation warns that an initial noindex tag can cause Google to skip JavaScript execution, so removing it later through JavaScript may fail.
Related terms
FAQ
Can a useful custom error page return 404?
Yes. Google's crawling error guidance recommends keeping the site's look and navigation while returning 404. You can provide helpful links on that page.
Why does Search Console still show an issue after a fix?
The Page indexing report help says the fix may follow Google's last crawl. You can check that crawl date, confirm the fix through inspection, and request re-indexing.
Sources
- Google, "How HTTP status codes affect Google's crawlers", updated 4 February 2026
- Google Search Central, "Troubleshoot Google Search crawling errors", updated 18 December 2025
- Google Search Console Help, "Page indexing report", accessed 17 October 2026
- Google Search Central, "Understand the JavaScript SEO basics", updated 4 March 2026
Check how a page reads to answer engines. Open the GEO score analyzer