Key takeaways
- A soft 404 is a page that says "OK" to browsers but looks empty or missing to Google.
- Common causes: empty categories, thin pages and JavaScript that fails to render.
- Fix by returning a real 404/410, redirecting, or adding genuine content.
What a soft 404 is
When a page does not exist, the server should return a 404 or 410 status code. A soft 404 happens when the server returns 200 (success) but the page content looks like an error, an empty template or something with little value. Google reports these in Search Console and usually drops them from the index.
The problem is not only the flagged pages. Soft 404s waste crawl attention and, when they hit real pages by mistake, remove valuable URLs from search without any obvious error.
Common causes
We see the same patterns repeatedly:
- Out-of-stock products or empty categories that show "no results" with a 200 status.
- Custom error pages that are served with a 200 instead of a 404.
- Thin pages—tags, location pages or profiles with almost no unique content.
- Single-page applications where content loads with JavaScript and fails to render for Google.
- Redirecting many deleted pages to the homepage, which Google often treats as a soft 404.
How to find them
Open the Pages report in Search Console and filter for "Soft 404". Inspect a sample with the URL Inspection tool and view the rendered page. If the rendered version is empty or shows a loading state, you have a rendering problem rather than a content problem.
How to fix them
Decide what each page should be. If it is genuinely gone, return a 404 or 410. If it has a close replacement, use a 301 redirect to that specific page—not the homepage. If it should exist, give it real, unique content that justifies indexing.
For JavaScript sites, make sure important content is present in the HTML that Google receives, using server-side rendering or pre-rendering. After fixing, validate the issue in Search Console so Google re-checks the URLs.
Frequently asked questions
Are soft 404s a penalty?
No. They are a classification, not a penalty. But they remove pages from search and can signal broader quality or rendering issues.
Should out-of-stock products return a 404?
Not if they are coming back. Keep the page live with availability information and alternatives. Return a 404 or redirect only when a product is permanently discontinued.
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