Glossary · Internet & Web

404 Page (Not Found Page)

A 404 page is what a server shows when a requested URL does not exist, and it should return the HTTP 404 status code along with helpful navigation.

Updated October 6, 2026

A 404 page is the page shown when a server cannot find the requested resource. A proper one returns the HTTP status code 404 Not Found together with a friendly message.

Why it matters

Dead links happen after deletions, typos and restructures. A good 404 page keeps visitors on your site by offering search, popular links and a way home. It must send a real 404 status; otherwise search engines may treat the error as a valid page, which is called a soft 404.

Example

HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Content-Type: text/html

The body can say that the page was not found and link to the home page, while the status line tells browsers and crawlers the truth.

Common mistakes

  • Redirecting every missing URL to the home page, which confuses users and search engines.
  • Returning 200 with a not found message (a soft 404).
  • Using 404 for pages that moved; use a 301 redirect instead.

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