How do I fix "Soft 404"?

If the page should not exist, return 404 or 410. If the page moved, redirect it with a 301. If the page is real, add meaningful content and make sure it renders without errors.

"Soft 404": what it means and how to fix it

Q: What does "Soft 404" mean in Google Search Console?

The server sends 200 OK, but the page content looks like a "not found" page, an empty search result, or a page with almost no content. Google treats it as an error and does not index it.

The page returns a success status, but Google thinks it looks like an error or empty page.

What it means

The server sends 200 OK, but the page content looks like a "not found" page, an empty search result, or a page with almost no content. Google treats it as an error and does not index it.

Common causes

An empty category, search, or listing page.
A product page for an item that is out of stock and has little other content.
A page that loads its content with JavaScript that failed for Google.

How to fix it

If the page should not exist, return 404 or 410.
If the page moved, redirect it with a 301.
If the page is real, add meaningful content and make sure it renders without errors.

How to find these pages

In Search Console, open Indexing > Pages and select the "Soft 404" row. Search Console shows up to 1,000 example URLs. CrawlCoach checks up to 10,000 URLs from your sitemap for each site and groups them by cause, so you fix the most valuable pages first.