Illustration showing a soft 404 error message in Google Search Console

How to fix a "soft 404" error in Google Search Console.

Across the fluid expanse of virtual sales you might imagine every link leading to a treasure chest of conversions. But sometimes that link leads to a dead end—and not a glorious ‘404 Not Found’ but the sneaky imposter known as a soft 404. At BlogCog we’ve seen savvy business owners scratching their heads when the shiny dashboard of Google Search Console flags “Soft 404” and the traffic starts to fade. Let’s turn that confusion into action and reclaim your SEO momentum.

You’re reading a page that’s supposed to help you fix the issue—not serve as one of those “click-bait gone bad” experiences. So buckle in. We’ll walk through what a soft 404 is, why it matters (yes, really), how to find it in Google Search Console, and most importantly how to fix it—funny business interruptions and all.

What exactly is a soft 404 error?

First, think of the classic 404: a user clicks a link, the server gives back a 404 Not Found, and the visitor sees an “Oops, page not found” message. That’s clear. But a soft 404 is cunning: you visit a URL, the server returns a 200 OK (which says “everything is fine”), but in reality the content is missing, irrelevant, or simply tells the user “nothing here.” Search engines like Google get confused because they expect meaningful content when they see a 200 status code. When they don’t, they conclude “well, this page might as well not exist,” and flag it as a soft 404.

Why it matters for your business and SEO (yes, you care)

You might shrug and say, “So what? A page here or there… no big deal.” But hear this: soft 404s can waste your crawl budget—meaning Googlebot spends time on content that isn’t valuable instead of indexing your star pieces. That spells lost visibility. Also, pages marked as soft 404 are often excluded from indexing, which means they don’t appear in search results. That’s wasted opportunity. And finally, for business owners like you striving to grow through content and traffic (and especially clients of BlogCog focused on search domination) every signal counts. Thin content, misleading status codes, or irrelevant redirects all send weak signals—and Google notices.

How to locate soft 404 errors in Google Search Console

Here’s how you dig in:

  • Log into Google Search Console and select your property.
  • In the left menu go to Indexing ? Pages (or coverage report in older UI) and look for rows labelled “Soft 404”.
  • Click the “Soft 404” row to expand and see all the URLs flagged.
  • Use “URL Inspection” for any specific URL to test live status, view rendered content, and check what Google sees.
  • Export a list or copy the URLs—time to take action.

How to fix a soft 404 error: Step-by-step

This is where it gets fun (well, as fun as technical SEO can be). Depending on the reason behind the soft 404, choose the right fix.

Step 1—Identify the page’s purpose. Ask: Should this page exist? Does it serve users? If the answer is yes, then keep it and improve it. If not, then clear it out properly.

Step 2—Fix the status code. If the page no longer exists or you want it removed, configure the server to return a 404 (Not Found) or a 410 (Gone) rather than a 200. That signals clearly to Google.

Step 3—Redirect or repurpose. If you’ve moved content (say a blog post, product, or resource) permanently, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new relevant URL. Avoid redirecting to unrelated pages because that often triggers soft 404s.

Step 4—Enhance content on pages that should exist. If a page is valid but flagged as soft 404 because it has thin or no content, enrich it: add headings, meaningful copy, visuals, links, value for users. Google rewards pages that deliver.

Step 5—Update internal links & clean up. Find any internal links pointing to soft 404 flagged pages. Update them or remove them so users and bots aren’t sent to dead ends.

Step 6—Tell Google you fixed it. Back in Google Search Console, after making changes, use the “Validate Fix” or “Request Indexing” (via URL Inspection) feature. Wait for Google to re-crawl and clear the error status.

Preventing soft 404 errors in the future (because prevention > cure)

Preventing is so much easier than chasing down errors after they add up. Here are best practices to keep on your radar:

• Keep your site structure clean. Don’t leave placeholder or “coming soon” pages hanging around. • Inventory your tag and category pages—if they’re empty, either remove them or ensure you have content. • When removing content, don’t just delete the page and leave a redirect to your homepage. Either put a proper 404/410 or redirect to a relevant page. • Regularly audit your site for crawl errors, thin content, and status-code mismatches. • Keep it user-first: if a visitor would think “why am I here?”, Google probably will too. Weak pages = weak signals.

Why savvy content subscription clients at BlogCog win when they fix soft 404s

As a business owner investing in a subscription with BlogCog—our AI-driven blog subscription for SEO content—you’re building a content ecosystem to drive traffic, credibility, and conversions. But if your site is riddled with soft 404 pages, you’re leaking potential. Every blog we publish is intended to be indexed, found, and loved by users and search engines alike. When soft 404s lurk in your site, we’re fighting an uphill battle. So by getting proactive and resolving these errors, you’re amplifying the return on your entire content strategy.

Think of it like this: you’ve got a fleet of beautifully crafted blog posts launched by BlogCog—each one a polished ship navigating toward search engine gold. But every leak (soft 404) in your hull slows you down or drifts you off course. Patch them, steer straight, and watch your visibility soar.

Wrapping up—but in a good way, not boring

Soft 404 errors might feel like tiny gremlins in your site’s plumbing, but if left unchecked they cause hidden damage: wasted crawl budgets, missed indexing, frustrated users, and diminished SEO return. The good news? The solutions are straightforward and well within your control. Log into Google Search Console, grab the list of soft 404s, apply the correct fix (status code, content, redirect), and validate the changes. And if you want to supercharge your blog and content strategy, remember that BlogCog is here—helping you build monthly with purpose, quality, and SEO muscle.

If you’re ready to blast off and fix your soft 404s (and keep them from coming back), let’s roll up our sleeves and get your site performing the way your content deserves. Your target audience is out there searching, the traffic is waiting—let’s not leave them at a dead-end page!

Ready for more? Dive into our BlogCog services summary and discover how our subscription blogging service can help you dominate search rankings. Learn why blogs matter for search domination here, and check out our FAQs if you’ve got questions here. To get started, explore pricing and service tiers here. At BlogCog we’re your partners in growth—let’s fix the plumbing so your SEO engine runs smooth and strong.

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