How to Fix a 404 Error on Your Website (2026 Guide)

A 404 error means the page a visitor asked for does not exist on your website. The link may be broken, the page may have been deleted or moved, or the address may be typed wrong. This guide shows you how to fix a 404 error on your website: first find all the broken pages, then fix them with redirects, repaired links, or a server setting. It also covers when to leave a 404 alone.

What Is a 404 Error?

404 is a status code your web server sends when it cannot find the page that was requested. The visitor sees a “Page Not Found” message instead of your content. A few 404s are normal — every site has some — but a lot of them hurt your visitors and your search rankings. Google may drop the missing page from its results, and links pointing to it lose their value.

If the whole site shows an error instead of just one page, that is a different problem — see our guide on how to fix a website that won’t load.

First, Figure Out Which Kind of 404 You Have

The fix depends on the pattern. Work out which one matches your site:

• One single URL 404s. Usually a typo in a link, or one deleted page. Quick fix.
• Many URLs 404 after a redesign or move. Old links point to old addresses. You need redirects.
• Every page 404s. Often a broken permalink or server setting, common on WordPress after a change.
• A page 404s only sometimes. Often a caching problem or a page that exists in one place but not another.

Quick Checks (For Visitors Too)

If you are the visitor seeing the 404, try these first:

• Check the address for typos — one wrong letter is enough.
• Refresh the page. A short glitch can cause a false 404.
• Clear your browser cache, or open the page in a private window.
• Go to the site’s home page and use its search box to find the page.

How to Find All the 404s on Your Site

Fixing one broken link you noticed is not enough. Find all of them:

• Google Search Console: open Pages, then “Not found (404)”. It lists every 404 Google found. This is free and it is the first place to look.
• Screaming Frog: a free tool that crawls your site and lists every 404, plus which pages link to it. The free version covers up to 500 URLs.
• Broken link checker: a WordPress plugin like Broken Link Checker scans your posts and pages for dead links.
• Your server logs: your host can show which missing URLs visitors actually request. Fix the ones with real traffic first.

Make a list of the broken URLs and how many visits each one gets. Fix the high-traffic ones first.

How to Fix a 404 Error on Your Website

Work through these fixes in order.

1. Restore the page

If the page was deleted by mistake, bring it back. On WordPress, check Trash under Pages or Posts — deleted pages sit there for 30 days. If you have a backup, restore just that page.

2. Fix the broken link

If the page exists but the link is wrong, fix the link. Check for typos, extra characters, or an old address. This is the most common cause of a single 404.

3. Set up a 301 redirect

If the page moved to a new address, redirect the old URL to the new one. A 301 redirect tells browsers and Google the move is permanent, and it passes most of the old page’s ranking value to the new page. On WordPress, the free Redirection plugin does this without code. On other platforms, use their built-in redirect settings.

4. Reset your permalinks (WordPress)

If every page on a WordPress site suddenly 404s, the permalink settings are often the cause. Go to Settings, then Permalinks, and click Save Changes without changing anything. That rebuilds the rules and often fixes the problem at once.

5. Check the .htaccess file (Apache servers)

A damaged .htaccess file can break every URL on the site. Rename it to .htaccess_old, then visit your site. If the site works, the file was the problem — create a fresh one from WordPress by saving the permalink settings again. Only do this if you are comfortable with server files, or ask your host for help.

6. Build a helpful custom 404 page

Some 404s cannot be fixed — old links from other sites, or people typing random addresses. A good 404 page turns a dead end into a second chance: say plainly the page is gone, add a search box, and link to your home page and your most popular pages.

Fixes by Platform

WordPress

Reset permalinks first, then use the Redirection plugin for 301 redirects. If the problem started after a plugin update, turn plugins off one by one to find the one that broke it.

Shopify

Shopify handles most redirects itself when you change a product or page address. For old links, go to Content, then Menus, or use the URL Redirects section under Settings to add a manual redirect.

Wix and Squarespace

Both have a redirect manager in their settings. Add the old URL and the new URL, and the platform handles the rest. There is no server file to edit.

Apache servers

You can set a custom 404 page in .htaccess with one line: ErrorDocument 404 /404.html. Redirects also go in .htaccess, or in your hosting panel.

Nginx servers

Nginx uses a config file instead of .htaccess. A custom 404 page looks like this: error_page 404 /404.html;. Ask your host or developer to edit the config — a wrong edit can take the site down.

404 vs 410 vs Soft 404: What Is the Difference?

• 404 Not Found: the page is missing, and the server says so. Google keeps checking it for a while.
• 410 Gone: the page is gone on purpose and will not come back. Use this when you delete a page for good — Google drops it faster.
• Soft 404: the page shows a “not found” message but the server says everything is fine (status 200). Google treats it as a 404 anyway, and it wastes crawl time. Fix soft 404s by returning a real 404 or 410 status.

When NOT to Fix a 404

Not every 404 needs fixing. Leave it alone when:

• The URL was never a real page — just a bot or a person typing a random address.
• The page was deleted on purpose and nothing links to it. A clean 404 is the correct answer.
• The 404 gets no traffic and no links. Fixing it adds nothing.

Google’s own guidance is clear: a 404 is not a penalty. Only fix the ones that cost you visitors or links.

How to Stop 404s Coming Back

• Every time you delete or move a page, add a redirect the same day.
• Check Search Console’s 404 report once a month.
• After a redesign or a move to a new platform, crawl the site and fix every broken link before launch.
• Keep a simple list of old URLs and where they redirect to, so future changes do not break them again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 404 mean I am blocked?

No. A 404 means the page was not found. Being blocked usually shows a 403 error instead.

Is error 404 my fault?

If you run the site, often yes — a deleted page or a wrong link. If you are just visiting, no — the site owner needs to fix it, and all you can do is check the address.

How long does a 404 error last?

Until someone fixes it. Google may keep the old page in its results for weeks after you fix it, so be patient after a redirect is set up.

What causes a 404 error?

The most common causes are a deleted page, a moved page with no redirect, a typo in a link, or a broken permalink or server setting.

The Bottom Line

Find every 404 with Google Search Console, fix the ones with traffic first, and use 301 redirects when a page has moved. A few 404s are normal, but a site full of them tells visitors — and Google — that the site is not looked after.