A 404 Not Found response means the server could not find a resource at the requested address. It does not necessarily mean the entire website is offline.
Common causes
- The page was deleted or moved.
- A link or address contains a spelling error.
- A site migration changed URL paths without redirects.
- An internal link points to an old page.
How to investigate
- Check the address for spelling, capitalization, and extra characters.
- Try navigating to the page from the website menu.
- If you manage the site, check whether the page exists in your CMS or hosting files.
- Update links that point to the wrong address.
- If a page permanently moved, create a relevant 301 redirect to its replacement. Do not redirect every missing URL to the homepage.
A genuine missing page should return a 404 status. A custom error page can explain the issue and link visitors to useful sections.