What it means
The cached copy is still valid, so no body is sent. Redirection responses tell the client to request a different URL.
Common causes
Browser sent If-None-Match or If-Modified-Since and nothing changed.
How to fix it
Nothing to fix; it means caching works.
If you are a visitor
Nothing is wrong. Your browser handles this response automatically.
If you own the site
Browsers follow redirects automatically, up to a limit. Check for loops. Permanent redirects (301, 308) pass ranking signals to the new URL. Temporary ones (302, 307) tell search engines to keep the old URL. Long chains and loops waste crawl budget. Run the HTTP status checker to see exactly what your URL returns, and use uptime monitoring to be told when it changes.
Frequently asked questions
What does HTTP 304 mean?
Not Modified: The cached copy is still valid, so no body is sent.
Is HTTP 304 an error?
No. Redirection responses tell the client to request a different URL.
Does HTTP 304 affect SEO?
Permanent redirects (301, 308) pass ranking signals to the new URL. Temporary ones (302, 307) tell search engines to keep the old URL. Long chains and loops waste crawl budget.
Should I retry after HTTP 304?
Browsers follow redirects automatically, up to a limit. Check for loops.