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What is a 404 error?

Started by grofee, November 07, 2022, 06:59:32 PM

grofee


Akshay_M

A 404 error, also known as "HTTP 404 Not Found," is an HTTP status code that indicates that the requested web page or resource could not be found on the server. When you encounter a 404 error, it means that the server has successfully communicated with the client's web browser, but the requested resource does not exist at the specified URL.

The 404 error message is typically displayed by the web server when:

The requested web page or resource has been moved or deleted.
The URL has been mistyped or contains a typo.
The web page or resource has been renamed or its URL has been changed.
The web page or resource has been temporarily or permanently removed.
There is an issue with the server configuration or file permissions.
When a user or search engine crawlers encounter a 404 error, it means that the content they were looking for is not available. In this case, the server usually presents a default 404 error page, which informs the user that the requested page could not be found and may provide suggestions or links to navigate to other parts of the website.

Web developers and website owners can customize the 404 error page to provide a more user-friendly and helpful experience. This custom page may include a search bar, site navigation links, or suggestions on finding relevant content.

Regularly monitoring and fixing 404 errors on a website is essential for user experience and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Broken links and frequent 404 errors can negatively impact a website's search engine rankings and lead to a poor user experience. To address 404 errors, website owners can use tools like Google Search Console to identify broken links and take appropriate actions to redirect or fix them.