A soft 404 is a page that answers “200 OK” while it shows an error, an expired domain, or the homepage in place of the page you linked to. A checker that trusts the status code calls it fine. Broken Link Fixer Pro reads the page and flags it for you. This guide explains how.
What You’ll Learn
- What a soft 404 is
- What the scan looks for
- How to read and filter the results
- What the scan does not claim
What Is Checked
With Soft 404 Detection on in Options (the default), the scan reads the first part of each page you link to, and flags it when:
- an address with a path redirects to the homepage of the same website
- the title or main heading of a short page says it was not found, as a whole phrase such as “Page not found” or “404” (an article called “How to fix 404 errors” is left alone)
- a short page says the domain is parked, for sale, or expired
- the page is the same one the website shows for an address that cannot exist
Images, scripts, and files are never read.
Reading the Results
A flagged link is a Warning with the message Possible soft 404 and the reason. Use the Soft 404 filter to list them. Open the page: if it really is gone, use Edit URL or Unlink; if it is fine, click Dismiss.
The scan also reports Redirect loop as broken, and a chain of three or more redirects as a redirect with a note, so you can point the link at the final address.
What to Expect
It is a hint for you to look at, never a verdict, which is why it is a warning and not a broken link. Reading pages makes a scan a little slower and uses a little more data. Turn the option off in Options if you do not need it. Nothing is sent anywhere.
This feature is available in Broken Link Fixer Pro.