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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossarySEO & ContentSoft 404

SEO & Content

Soft 404

A page that tells users it doesn't exist or has no content but returns a normal 200 status code instead of an error.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

A soft 404 is a page that tells users it does not exist or has no content but returns a normal 200 status code instead of an error. Search engines may flag these pages because the status code and content contradict each other. Returning a proper 404 or 410 status, or redirecting appropriately, resolves the issue.