Avoid soft 404s and client-side redirects with correct HTTP status codes.
- Avoid soft 404s and client-side redirects with correct HTTP status codes1 cited source1 category
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Why this matters
Proper 404 and redirect status codes ensure search engines handle pages correctly and avoid indexing errors or ranking dilution.
Hypothetical standard operating procedure
Adapt this example to your site, access, tools, and change process. It is our suggested procedure, informed by the sources below.
- Test important URLs with HTTP client tools checking returned status codes.
- Correct server or code configuration to return standard status codes for errors and redirects.
- Avoid JavaScript-only or client-side HTTP status changes.
- Monitor 404 and redirect logs via Search Console or server logs.
- Fix any inconsistent or incorrect status code responses.
Watch for
Serving 200 OK for error or redirect pages misleads crawlers and wastes crawl budget.
Definition of done
Server returns accurate status codes: 404 for not found, 301/302 for redirects, and 200 for valid pages.
Sources & attribution
Original checklist wording and example SOP by Best SEO Checklist, using source-grounded AI assistance. Editorial contact: Ted Kubaitis, @tedkubaitis on Teams. Check current source guidance before implementation.