Soft 404 Errors in Google Search Console: Causes and Fixes
Search Console lists pages as "Soft 404" — the pages load normally, but Google thinks they look empty, missing, or useless, so it treats them like a not-found page and leaves them out of search.
Common signs of this issue
- Search Console's Pages report lists "Soft 404" as a reason pages aren't indexed.
- The flagged URLs open fine in your browser — no error message, nothing obviously broken.
- Many of the examples are sold-out products, empty shop categories, tag pages, or search results with no matches.
- Deleted pages that you redirected to the homepage are showing up as Soft 404.
- Pages with very little on them — a heading and one line, a placeholder, or "coming soon" — are in the list.
- URL Inspection says "Page cannot be indexed: Soft 404" when you check a page.
Safe checks you can do yourself
None of these require sharing passwords with anyone.
- In Search Console open Indexing, then Pages, click Soft 404, and read the example URLs. Group them: old deleted pages, thin pages, product pages, category or tag pages, and search or filter URLs. Each group has a different fix.
- Open a few examples and look at them as a stranger would. Does the page actually have content, or is it mostly header, footer, and a short line like "No products found" or "Nothing here yet"? That is usually what Google is reacting to.
- Check what the address really returns. Paste an example into a free HTTP status checker (search for "HTTP status code checker") and note the code. A missing page should return 404 or 410. If it returns 200 while showing a "not found" message, that mismatch is the textbook soft 404.
- Look for redirects to the homepage. If deleted pages or old products were all pointed at your homepage, Google often treats those as soft 404s because the homepage is not a real replacement. Redirect only to a closely matching page, or let the page return a genuine 404.
- For out-of-stock products, decide whether they are coming back. Temporarily unavailable products should keep their page with a clear description, price, and "back soon" note. Permanently discontinued ones can redirect to the closest replacement or return a 404.
- For empty categories and tag pages, either add products or posts to them, remove them from your menus and sitemap, or set them to noindex in your SEO plugin or platform settings.
- Check your internal search and filter pages. Pages like
?s=or filter combinations with no results should not be in your sitemap or linked prominently. - If an example looks full of content to you, click Test live URL in URL Inspection and view the screenshot. If Google sees a blank or half-loaded page, a script or plugin may be failing for Googlebot even though it works in your browser.
- After fixing a group, click Validate fix for the Soft 404 issue and allow a few weeks for Google to recheck.
What this usually means
A soft 404 is Google's way of saying "this page says it exists, but it looks like it doesn't." A proper missing page sends a 404 status code to the browser. A soft 404 sends the normal "everything is fine" 200 code while showing something that looks empty, missing, or like an error. Google does not want to index that, so it labels it and leaves it out. It is not a penalty and it does not drag down the rest of your site — it just means those specific URLs will not rank.
On small business sites the usual causes are predictable. Old pages redirected in bulk to the homepage after a redesign. Shop platforms keeping sold-out product pages alive with almost nothing on them. Empty categories or tag archives with zero posts. Placeholder pages published before they were written. Internal search results with no matches. And sometimes a page that is fine for visitors but loads its content with a script that fails for Google, leaving Google with an empty shell. For genuinely broken links and deleted pages, see 404 page not found errors — a real 404 is the honest answer for something that is gone.
The fix follows the intent of each page. If the page should rank, give it real content so it clearly is not an error page. If it is gone for good, let it return a real 404 or 410, or redirect it to a page that is a genuine match. If it is a utility page nobody needs to find in Google, noindex it or stop linking to it. Soft 404s on pages you do not care about can be left alone; they cost nothing. On online shops the pattern is worth watching closely, because it often affects the product and category pages that bring in sales — see Shopify store not showing on Google for the store-specific side.
What not to do
- Don't redirect every deleted page to your homepage. Google often treats those redirects as soft 404s anyway, and visitors land somewhere unhelpful.
- Don't pad a thin page with filler text just to escape the report. Add content a customer would actually want, or remove the page.
- Don't delete product pages that are only temporarily out of stock. Keep them live with clear information so they hold their rankings.
- Don't make your custom 404 page return a 200 status code. It should look friendly but still send a real 404.
- Don't worry about soft 404s on search results, empty tag pages, or filter URLs you never wanted in Google.
When to get help
Help is worth it when the soft 404 list includes your real money pages — services, product categories, or products you still sell — or when the count jumped after a redesign, platform change, or migration. Those situations usually mean a redirect plan went wrong or a theme is serving pages that look empty to Google, and the fix is technical rather than a writing job. An experienced person can check status codes in bulk, review redirect rules, and compare what Google renders with what visitors see, which is hard to do page by page from the browser.
Glenn, who runs WebsiteSelfHelp, tracks down soft 404 and indexing problems on small business websites and shops. Request a direct review, share a few of the flagged URLs, and you will get an honest read on what is causing it and what fixing it involves. No logins needed to start.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a soft 404 error?
It is a page that loads normally and returns a success code, but looks to Google like an empty page, an error, or a missing page. Google treats it like a 404 and does not index it.
What is the difference between a 404 and a soft 404?
A 404 is a page that honestly tells browsers and Google it does not exist. A soft 404 claims to exist but has little or no real content. The first is correct behavior for deleted pages; the second is a mixed signal.
Do soft 404 errors hurt my SEO?
They do not penalize the rest of your site. The flagged pages simply will not be indexed. It only matters when those pages are ones you want customers to find, or when many of them waste Google's crawling on dead ends.
Why are my out-of-stock products showing as soft 404?
Some shop themes strip most of the page when a product sells out, leaving little more than a sold-out notice. Keep the description, photos, and details visible with a clear availability note, or redirect permanently discontinued items to a close replacement.
Is redirecting deleted pages to the homepage bad?
Usually, yes. Google often reads a homepage redirect as a soft 404 because the homepage does not replace the old content. Redirect to a genuinely similar page, or let the old URL return a 404.
How long does it take to fix soft 404 errors in Search Console?
After you fix the pages and click Validate fix, Google rechecks them over days to a few weeks. Larger sites can take longer. The report often lags behind the actual state of your pages.