“Soft 404”: what it means and how to fix it
A soft 404 is a page that looks like an error or an empty page to Google but returns a 200 (success) status code. Google treats it as 'not found' and leaves it out of search. The fix depends on the page: if it's really gone, return a real 404 or redirect it to a close match. If it's a real page, give it real content.
- The server says 'OK', but the page looks empty or like an error.
- Gone pages should return 404 or 410, or redirect to a close replacement.
- Real pages flagged as soft 404 usually need more content, or the content isn't rendering for Google.
What does Google say?
The page request returns what Google thinks is a soft 404 response: a user-friendly 'not found' message without a 404 status code. Google recommends returning a 404 for pages that don't exist, and improving content on pages that do.
Paraphrased from Google's Page indexing report help.
Why does it happen?
- 01'Not found' or 'no results' pages that return 200.
- 02Empty tag, category or search pages.
- 03Very thin pages with almost no text.
- 04Content loaded by JavaScript that failed to render for Google.
- 05Lots of old URLs redirected to the homepage instead of to related pages.
Is “Soft 404” a problem?
It depends on which URLs Search Console lists. Check them against these two lists.
Ignore it if
- The page really is gone and you're about to make it return 404.
Fix it if
- A real page is flagged. Google sees it as empty, so it won't rank.
- Removed pages still return 200.
How do I fix “Soft 404”?
Check any single URL with URL Inspection. After fixing, open the issue in the Page indexing report and click Validate fix; Google says it typically takes up to about two weeks.
# after a real changeInspect URL → Request indexing # in the Page indexing reportOpen the status → Validate fix
- 1
See what Google sees
Run URL Inspection → Test live URL → View tested page. Check the screenshot and the rendered HTML. If your content is missing, it's a rendering problem.
- 2
Gone pages: return 404 or 410
Make your server send a real 404 (or 410 if it's gone for good). Or 301 redirect to a closely related page, not the homepage.
- 3
Real pages: add substance
Give the page enough unique content to stand on its own. For empty category or tag pages, either fill them or noindex them.
- 4
Render content on the server
If the main content only appears after JavaScript runs, render it on the server so it's in the HTML Google first receives.
- 5
Validate the fix
Click Validate fix in the Page indexing report once the pages are fixed.
How does Blogizi handle “Soft 404”?
Blogizi renders posts on the server, so the content is in the HTML Google receives, and a post that doesn't exist returns a real 404.
Index checks for every post are part of Pro, $19/month with a 7-day trial for $0. Your AI agent can read the same statuses over MCP.
Search › IndexingChecked dailyFrequently asked questions
A 404 returns the 404 status code, so Google knows the page is gone. A soft 404 returns 200 but looks empty or like an error, so Google has to guess.
Last reviewed October 23, 2026 against Google's Page indexing report help.
Related Search Console statuses
Crawled - currently not indexed
Google read the page and decided not to index it, for now.
Read the guide →Usually finePage with redirect
The URL redirects somewhere else, so Google indexes the destination.
Read the guide →Check itExcluded by ‘noindex’ tag
The page tells Google not to index it, and Google listened.
Read the guide →Get every post indexed
Publish on your own domain with sitemaps and canonicals handled, and see which posts Google hasn't indexed without opening Search Console.
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