How to Fix HTTP Status Code Issues: Complete SEO Guide 2026
HTTP status codes are the language your server speaks to search engines. A 200 OK says "this page exists, index it." A 301 says "this page moved permanently." A 404 says "this page is gone." When your server speaks incorrectly — returning 200 for error pages, chaining redirects, or throwing 5xx errors — Google wastes crawl budget, drops pages from the index, and your rankings suffer.
TL;DR — Quick Summary
- ✓ Fix 404s on pages with backlinks or traffic using 301 redirects to relevant content
- ✓ Eliminate redirect chains (A→B→C) by pointing all URLs directly to the final destination
- ✓ Fix soft 404s — pages that return 200 OK but show error content — by returning actual 404 status
- ✓ Use 301 for permanent moves, 302 for temporary — wrong redirect types lose link equity
- ✓ 5xx server errors can cause deindexing within days — monitor and fix immediately
HTTP Status Code Reference
1xx
Informational
Processing
2xx
Success
200 OK, 201 Created
3xx
Redirection
301, 302, 307, 308
4xx
Client Error
404, 403, 410, 429
5xx
Server Error
500, 502, 503, 504
OK
Page indexed normally
Moved Permanently
Full link equity transfer
Found (Temporary)
Partial equity, old URL kept
Temporary Redirect
Same as 302, preserves method
Permanent Redirect
Same as 301, preserves method
Not Found
Dropped from index over time
Gone
Faster removal from index
Internal Server Error
Deindexed if persistent
Service Unavailable
Google retries later
Table of Contents
HTTP Status Code Categories
HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers returned by web servers in response to every request. They tell browsers and search engine crawlers what happened when they tried to access a URL. The first digit identifies the category:
| Range | Category | Meaning | SEO Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1xx | Informational | Request received, processing continues | Rarely seen — no SEO impact |
| 2xx | Success | Request was successfully received and processed | Critical — 200 OK is what every indexed page should return |
| 3xx | Redirection | Further action needed to complete request | High — determines link equity transfer and index behavior |
| 4xx | Client Error | Request contains bad syntax or cannot be fulfilled | High — 404s waste crawl budget and lose link equity |
| 5xx | Server Error | Server failed to fulfill a valid request | Critical — persistent errors cause deindexing |
Key Insight: Crawl Budget Impact
Google allocates a crawl budget to every site — the number of pages Googlebot will crawl per session. Every 404, redirect, and server error consumes part of this budget without adding pages to the index. For large sites (10,000+ pages), fixing status code issues can dramatically improve how quickly new content gets indexed.
The 9 Critical SEO-Relevant Status Codes
While there are dozens of HTTP status codes, only nine have significant SEO implications. Here is what each one means for your search visibility:
200 OK — The Goal
Every page you want indexed should return 200 OK. This tells Googlebot the page exists, the content is available, and it should be indexed. If a page returns 200 but the content is empty, thin, or shows an error message, Google may classify it as a soft 404 (covered in section 5).
301 Moved Permanently — The SEO-Safe Redirect
The 301 redirect signals that a page has permanently moved to a new URL. Google transfers approximately 100% of link equity to the destination (Google confirmed in 2016 that 301, 302, and 308 all pass full PageRank, though 301 is still preferred for permanent moves because it signals intent clearly). Use 301 for domain migrations, URL restructuring, and deleted pages with relevant replacements.
302 Found — Temporary Redirect
A 302 signals a temporary move. Google keeps the old URL in its index and may not immediately transfer link equity. Use 302 only for genuinely temporary situations: A/B testing, geographic redirects, or maintenance pages. Using 302 for permanent moves is one of the most common SEO mistakes.
307 and 308 — HTTP/1.1 Equivalents
307 is the HTTP/1.1 temporary redirect (like 302) and 308 is the permanent redirect (like 301). The key difference: 307 and 308 preserve the HTTP method — a POST request stays a POST. For most SEO purposes, 301 and 302 are sufficient and more widely supported.
404 Not Found — Page Does Not Exist
The server cannot find the requested page. Google will eventually remove 404 pages from its index, but this can take weeks. Not all 404s need fixing — they are a normal part of the web. Fix those with backlinks or traffic; leave the rest.
410 Gone — Permanently Deleted
A 410 explicitly tells Google the page is permanently deleted with no replacement. Google removes 410 pages from the index faster than 404 pages. Use 410 for content you have intentionally removed and do not want crawled again.
500, 503, 504 — Server Errors
Server errors tell Google your site has problems. 500 (Internal Server Error) indicates a code or configuration bug. 503 (Service Unavailable) means temporary downtime — Google will retry later if you include a Retry-After header. 504 (Gateway Timeout) means upstream servers are slow. Persistent 5xx errors on a page can cause Google to deindex it within 24-48 hours.
Redirect Chains — Wasted Crawl Budget
A redirect chain occurs when a URL redirects to another URL, which redirects to another URL, before finally reaching the destination. Example: /old-page → /renamed-page → /final-page. Each hop wastes crawl budget, adds latency, and Googlebot may stop following after 5-10 hops.
Redirect Chain vs Direct Redirect
/page-v1→ 301/page-v2→ 301/page-v3→ 301/final-page3 hops = wasted crawl budget, added latency, potential equity loss
/page-v1→ 301/final-page1 hop = efficient crawling, full equity transfer, fast page load
How to Fix Redirect Chains
- Crawl your site with InstaRank SEO or Screaming Frog to identify all redirect chains
- Map out each chain: identify the original URL and the final destination
- Update every redirect in the chain to point directly to the final URL
- Update all internal links to point to the final URL (bypassing the redirect entirely)
- Keep the intermediate redirects pointing to the final URL for external links
# Before: Chain of 3 redirects
Redirect 301 /page-v1 /page-v2
Redirect 301 /page-v2 /page-v3
Redirect 301 /page-v3 /final-page# After: All point to final destination
Redirect 301 /page-v1 /final-page
Redirect 301 /page-v2 /final-page
Redirect 301 /page-v3 /final-pageRedirect Loops — Pages That Can Never Load
A redirect loop occurs when URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects back to URL A — creating an infinite cycle. The browser shows "ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS" and the page never loads. For SEO, this is worse than a 404 because the page is completely inaccessible.
Common Causes
- HTTP/HTTPS conflict: The server redirects HTTP to HTTPS, but the HTTPS config redirects back to HTTP
- WWW/non-WWW conflict: One rule forces www, another removes it
- CMS + server conflict: WordPress forces a redirect, but .htaccess has a conflicting rule
- CDN misconfiguration: The CDN redirects to origin, origin redirects back to CDN
How to Diagnose and Fix
- Use
curl -I -L urlto trace the full redirect path — it will show the loop - Check .htaccess/nginx config for conflicting redirect rules
- Check your CMS settings (WordPress: Settings → General → Site URL)
- Check CDN/proxy settings (Cloudflare SSL mode should be "Full (Strict)")
- Fix the conflicting rule and test with a fresh browser session (clear cookies first)
Critical: Redirect Loops Cause Immediate Deindexing
Unlike 404 errors (which Google tolerates for weeks), redirect loops make a page immediately inaccessible. Googlebot detects the loop and drops the URL from the index within its next crawl cycle. If your homepage has a redirect loop, your entire site can lose visibility within days.
Soft 404s — The Hidden SEO Killer
A soft 404 occurs when a page returns a 200 OK status code but displays error content — "Page not found," "No results," or essentially empty content. Google detects these through content analysis and reports them in Search Console as "Soft 404" errors.
Real 404 vs Soft 404
404 - Page Not Found
The page you requested does not exist.
Server correctly returns 404 status. Google removes from index normally.
Sorry, nothing here!
Try searching for something else.
Server says 200 OK but content is an error. Wastes crawl budget, confuses index.
Common Causes of Soft 404s
- Custom error pages configured to return 200 instead of 404
- Empty category pages with no products or articles
- Search results pages with zero results (
/search?q=xyzabc) - Dynamically generated pages with no matching content in the database
- Product pages showing "Out of Stock" with no alternative or expected restock date
How to Fix Soft 404s
- Return a real 404 status: Configure your server/CMS to return HTTP 404 for pages that do not exist
- Add substantive content: If the page has SEO value, add real content instead of an error message
- 301 redirect to relevant content: Point the URL to the most relevant existing page
- Use meta noindex: For thin pages you want to keep (e.g., empty category archives) but not index
Important: Never Redirect All 404s to Your Homepage
Google's Martin Splitt has explicitly warned against this practice. Redirecting unrelated 404 pages to your homepage creates more soft 404s — Google detects that the homepage content does not match the original URL's topic and flags it as a soft 404 anyway. Only redirect to genuinely relevant content.
503 and 504 Errors — Temporary Problems with Permanent Consequences
Server errors (5xx) signal that your server is failing to process requests. While they are often temporary, persistent 5xx errors can cause Google to reduce crawl rate, skip your pages during indexing, or even deindex pages entirely.
503 Service Unavailable
The 503 status tells clients the server is temporarily unavailable — typically due to maintenance or overload. This is actually the correct status code for planned downtime. When you include a Retry-After header, Googlebot knows when to come back and will not penalize you for short outages.
# Nginx: Return 503 with Retry-After during maintenance
location / {
return 503;
add_header Retry-After 3600; # Come back in 1 hour
}504 Gateway Timeout
A 504 means your server (or a proxy/CDN in front of it) timed out waiting for a response from an upstream server. Common causes include slow database queries, resource-intensive page generation, and network issues between your server and its dependencies.
Impact on SEO
- Google reduces crawl rate for sites with frequent 5xx errors — new content gets indexed slower
- If a page returns 5xx for more than a few days, Google may drop it from the index
- Google Search Console sends email alerts for persistent server errors — act on these immediately
- During extended outages, Google recommends returning 503 with Retry-After rather than serving error pages with 200 status
Critical: 500 Errors on Your Homepage
A 500 error on your homepage is a site-wide emergency. Googlebot starts crawling from the homepage — if it returns 500, Google may conclude your entire site is down and reduce crawl rate for all pages. Monitor your homepage uptime with tools like UptimeRobot or Pingdom and set up instant alerts.
How to Audit HTTP Status Codes Across Your Entire Site
A comprehensive status code audit involves crawling every URL on your site and checking what status code the server returns. Here are the tools and methods:
InstaRank SEO
Free: Crawls your site and checks status codes, redirect chains, soft 404s, and server errors in one audit. Scores your site on 11 HTTP status parameters.
Google Search Console
The Pages report shows exactly which URLs Google has indexed, excluded, or flagged. Check "Not Found (404)" and "Server Error (5xx)" categories.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Desktop crawler that exports all URLs with their status codes. Free for up to 500 URLs. Shows redirect chains, loops, and response times.
HTTP Status Audit Decision Flow
Does the page return 200 OK?
Is it a 301/302 redirect?
Is it a 404 or 410?
Is it a 5xx error?
Step-by-Step Fix Guide for Each Status Code Issue
Here is the exact action to take for each type of status code problem:
| Issue | Priority | Fix | Code Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 404 with backlinks | Critical | 301 redirect to relevant page | Redirect 301 /old /new |
| 404 without backlinks | Low | Leave as 404 or return 410 | N/A |
| Redirect chain | High | Point all hops to final URL | Redirect 301 /v1 /final |
| Redirect loop | Critical | Remove conflicting redirect rule | Check .htaccess conflicts |
| 302 for permanent move | High | Change 302 to 301 | permanent: true |
| Soft 404 | High | Return real 404 or add content | return res.status(404) |
| 500 server error | Critical | Fix code/config bug | Check error logs |
| 503 extended | Critical | Fix server + add Retry-After | Retry-After: 3600 |
Best Practice: Create a Helpful 404 Page
When a 404 is the correct response (no relevant page to redirect to), make the 404 page helpful. Include a search box, links to popular pages, and clear navigation. A good 404 page recovers users who would otherwise bounce — and it must return a real 404 status code, not 200.
Key Takeaways
- → Every indexed page should return 200 OK — anything else is either intentional (301, 410) or a problem to fix
- → Use 301 for permanent moves, 302 only for genuinely temporary redirects
- → Redirect chains waste crawl budget — point all URLs directly to the final destination
- → Soft 404s are invisible in the browser but visible to Google — check Search Console regularly
- → 5xx errors can cause deindexing within days — monitor uptime and fix server issues immediately
Find all HTTP status issues on your site in one free audit:
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