Bing dead links (404 and 410): what to fix

Bingbot asked for these pages and got a 404 or 410. Fix the ones that should exist, redirect moved pages, and let deleted pages go.

Where you see it

In Bing Webmaster Tools, open Site Explorer and apply the filter "URLs with crawling issues (deadlinks)". Bing's help says it includes HTTP 404 to 410.

What it means

The page does not exist at that address, as far as Bingbot can tell. Bing's help says that telling it about 404 pages helps it drop dead links.

A dead link is not always a problem. Bing's guidelines say to return 404 when you remove content for good. The problem is a dead page you still link to, or a live page that returns 404 by mistake.

Common causes

Most likely first.

Pages were deleted or renamed, and old links or sitemap entries still point to them.
A site move changed addresses without redirects.
Typos in internal links.
Other sites link to addresses that never existed.
A live page returns 404 because of a server or app error.

How to tell which cause applies

Open each address in a browser. If the page should be there and loads for you, test it with Live URL in URL Inspection to see what Bingbot gets.
In Site Explorer, check the backlinks for the dead address to see who links to it.
Search your sitemap and your menus for the dead address.

How to fix it

If the page moved, add a 301 redirect from the old address to the new one.
If the page should exist, restore it or fix the error that returns 404.
If you deleted it on purpose, take it out of your sitemap and remove links to it from your pages.
Tell Bing about removed pages with IndexNow. Bing's guidelines suggest it.
Use Bing's Content Removal tool only when a dead page still shows in results and must go now.

When you can ignore it

Ignore dead links to pages you removed on purpose, as long as your sitemap and your own pages no longer point to them.

With CrawlCoach

On paid plans, CrawlCoach crawls your pages and flags links to pages that return 404, 410, or a server error. Each fix lists the pages with the broken link, and the fix is done when the link is gone or the page loads again.

Questions

Should I redirect every dead page to my home page?

No. Redirect a dead page only to the page that replaced it. Sending everything to the home page confuses visitors and search engines. Let truly deleted pages return 404 or 410.

Do dead links hurt my whole site on Bing?

A few do not. Many dead links from your own pages waste Bingbot's visits. Bing's guidelines say crawl waste can delay the crawling of important pages.

Related guides

"URLs that are redirecting" in Bing
"URLs with crawling issues (server errors)" in Bing
"Not found (404)" (the Google Search Console reason)
"Soft 404" (the Google Search Console reason)
IndexNow setup guides (tell Bing when pages change)

Sources

Checked on October 8, 2026. Vendors change their tools and docs, so check the source if something looks different.

Bing "URLs with crawling issues (deadlinks)": 404 and 410 pages