A soft 404 is a page that returns a 200 (success) status code but looks like an error, empty or "not found" page to Google. Because the server says the page is fine while the content says otherwise, Google excludes it from search and reports it as "Soft 404" in Search Console's Page indexing report.
Key takeaways
- Soft 404s happen when the status code and the content disagree: 200 status, error-like page.
- On WordPress, empty tag, category and search result pages are the usual culprits, because WordPress returns 200 for them.
- Redirecting deleted pages to your homepage can also be treated as a soft 404, according to Google.
- The fix depends on the cause: return a real 404 or 410, 301 to a relevant page, add real content, or fix rendering.
What a soft 404 is
Every page your server sends comes with an HTTP status code. 200 means "here's the page". 404 means "not found". 410 means "gone for good".
A soft 404 is when those two things don't line up. Google's crawling errors documentation defines it as a URL that shows a page telling the user it doesn't exist, while also returning a 200 status code. It also covers pages with no main content or empty pages.
Google's position is that this is a bad experience, and "such pages are excluded from Search."
A real 404 is fine: it tells Google the page is gone. A soft 404 leaves Google to work that out from the content.
It's also different from "Page indexed without content", another status you might see. That one means Google indexed the URL but couldn't read the content, often because the page is cloaked or in a format Google can't process.
5 causes of soft 404s
1. Thin or near-empty pages
A page with a heading, a sentence and a sidebar looks like an empty template to Google. Common examples: placeholder service pages, "coming soon" pages and product pages with only a title and a price.
2. Empty WordPress archives and templates
This is the one Reddit threads keep asking about. WordPress core 404 handling deliberately doesn't send a 404 for tag, category, custom taxonomy or post type archives if the term exists, even when it has no posts. Author archives for real users and search result pages also return 200.
So a tag you created once and never used shows "Nothing found" with a 200 status: the classic soft 404 WordPress case. Empty /?s= search URLs behave the same way if Google finds links to them.
3. Redirects to the homepage
When you delete a page and redirect it to the homepage, the user asked for one thing and got something unrelated. Google's site move documentation warns that redirecting many old URLs to one irrelevant destination, such as the home page, "might be treated as a soft 404 error." Some plugins do this for every 404 automatically.
4. JavaScript rendering problems
If your content loads with JavaScript and Google can't render it, Google may see an empty shell. This can happen when scripts or API calls are blocked by robots.txt, time out or error. Single-page apps that show a "not found" view without changing the status code cause the same problem.
5. Error messages on a 200 page
"Product unavailable", "No results found" or "This listing has expired", served with a 200 status. Out-of-stock product pages and expired job or property listings are the usual examples.
How to find soft 404 errors
- Open the Page indexing report. In Search Console go to Indexing > Pages and scroll to "Why pages aren't indexed".
- Click the "Soft 404" row. You'll see example URLs. Export them.
- Group the URLs by pattern. Tags, categories, search URLs, products, old redirects. Patterns point to the cause faster than checking URLs one by one.
- Inspect a sample URL. Run URL Inspection, click "Test live URL", then "View tested page" to see the screenshot and HTML Google rendered. If the screenshot is blank or shows an error, you've found your problem.
- Check the status code and redirects. Use a header checker or your browser's developer tools (Network tab) to confirm what the server returns and where redirects go.
- Crawl the site. A crawler like Screaming Frog can flag pages with low word counts and list internal links pointing to empty archives or redirected URLs.
- Fix, then validate. Once a pattern is fixed, click "Validate fix" in the report so Google re-checks the affected URLs.
How to fix a soft 404 (fix per cause)
Match the fix to what the page should be. The question is simple: should this URL exist?
| Cause | Should the URL exist? | Fix | Status code after fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thin or empty page | Yes | Add real, useful content, or merge it into a stronger page | 200 (or 301 if merged) |
| Empty WordPress tag or category | Usually no | Delete unused terms, or noindex thin taxonomies with Yoast or Rank Math | 404, or 200 with noindex |
| Internal search results pages | No | Stop linking to them and noindex search results | 200 with noindex |
| Deleted page redirected to homepage | No | 301 to the closest relevant page, or let it 404/410 | 301, 404 or 410 |
| JavaScript rendering failure | Yes | Unblock resources, fix errors, consider server-side rendering | 200 |
| Out-of-stock or expired page | Depends | Temporarily out of stock: keep the page with alternatives. Gone for good: 404/410 or 301 to a close replacement | 200, 301 or 410 |
A few notes on the WordPress fixes:
- Tag clean-up beats noindex. Go to Posts > Tags, sort by count, and delete or merge tags with zero or one post.
- Remove old redirect-to-home plugins. If a plugin sends every 404 to the homepage, turn that off and map old URLs individually with a redirect plugin.
- For JavaScript sites, Google's JavaScript SEO basics gives two options for client-side routing: a JavaScript redirect to a URL that returns a real 404, or adding
noindexto error views with JavaScript.
If a fixed page then shows as crawled but not indexed, the problem has moved to content quality. My guide to crawled – currently not indexed covers that next step.
Real example: my April spam update page
One of my own posts on AlgoBlueprints was a textbook case. The page about Google's April spam update had an empty H1 and a leftover form from a template. To Google, that looks like an unfinished template, not an article.
The fix was to stop serving an empty page. I moved the post back to draft while it's rewritten, so the URL now returns a real 404 instead of a blank template. When a half-finished page can't be fixed quickly, unpublishing it is better than leaving it in the index.
The lesson for WordPress users: page builders and theme switches can leave empty blocks, missing headings or stray forms that make a real article look empty. After any theme or plugin change, run through the technical SEO checklist. And if pages are missing from Google entirely, start with why your website isn't showing on Google.
Work through the Soft 404 list in Search Console one pattern at a time, starting with the pattern that affects the most URLs.
Frequently asked questions
What is a soft 404?
A soft 404 is a page that returns a 200 success status code but looks like an error, empty or "not found" page. Google excludes these pages from search and lists them under "Soft 404" in Search Console's Page indexing report. The fix is to make the status code match the content.
How do you fix a broken link?
Find broken links with a site crawler or Search Console's "Not found (404)" report. Then update the link to the correct URL, remove it, or 301 redirect the old URL to the most relevant live page. Don't redirect everything to your homepage, because Google may treat that as a soft 404.
Do soft 404 errors hurt SEO?
The affected URLs won't be indexed, so they can't rank. A handful on empty tags isn't a problem. Hundreds can waste crawling on useless URLs, and if real content pages are flagged, you're losing traffic you should be getting. Fix the pages that matter first.
How do I fix soft 404 errors in WordPress?
Delete or merge unused tags and categories, noindex internal search results, and turn off plugins that redirect all 404s to the homepage. For real articles flagged as soft 404, check for empty headings, missing content from page builders and JavaScript that Google can't render.
Should I redirect soft 404 pages to the homepage?
No. Google's documentation says redirecting many old URLs to one irrelevant page like the homepage might be treated as a soft 404. Redirect to the closest relevant page if one exists. Otherwise, return a 404 or 410 and let the URL drop out.
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With 5+ years of hands-on experience, I specialize in holistic search strategies that don’t just rank—they drive real, measurable business growth. I’ve worked across industries including healthcare, hospitality, legal, e-commerce, and professional services, helping brands dominate their target markets. My approach bridges the gap between raw data and creative execution. Every strategy I build is rooted in rigorous market analysis, structured SEO frameworks, and tailored content ecosystems—no templates, no shortcuts. Whether you’re a single-location brand or scaling across multiple cities, I create data-driven marketing systems designed to compound results and grow with you.
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