What does the 404 error mean?
The 404 error can appear on a web page as Error 404 Page Not Found. This is an HTTP response indicating that the server cannot locate the web page requested by the client. This error may also appear in other forms, such as 404 Error or The requested URL was not found.

Servers are expected to respond to client requests, for example: when a user tries to visit a web page. If the page the user is trying to access doesn’t exist, has been deleted, or was moved without updating the original link with a redirect, the user will receive a 404 error.

What to do if you receive a 404 error?
When a user encounters a 404 error on a web page, they should:

• Check if the URL was entered correctly, as even a one-character mistake can trigger the error.

• Refresh the page they’re trying to access, since the error might be a temporary glitch.

• Try searching for the page using a web search engine, as the content might have been moved to another URL.

• Try accessing the URL from another device—it might be a client-side issue or a problem with the user's browser. If the page works on another device, clear the cache and cookies of the first device, or simply try a different browser.

• Contact the website owner or administrator by sending an email to report the broken link and request a fix.

Why should you fix the 404 error?
For a website owner, it is very important to fix 404 errors as soon as possible. When there are many broken, non-existent, or non-redirected links, the user experience is significantly impacted, increasing the risk of losing visitors.

Additionally, too many broken links negatively affect search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, meaning the website may appear less frequently in search results.

How to identify and fix 404 errors on your website?

• Use a website analysis tool such as Google Search Console or Screaming Frog SEO Spider to identify links resulting in 404 errors.

• If a page’s URL has changed, the old URL should be redirected using a redirect file. Redirects are the easiest way to resolve a 404 error.

• Create a custom 404 error page to replace the browser’s default error page. Custom responses for different errors can include messages and content that don’t disrupt the user experience.