Every time a page loads, the server sends a status code. Search engines use these codes to decide what to index.
Key codes
| Code | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | OK | Normal pages |
| 301 | Moved permanently | Page moved for good |
| 302 / 307 | Temporary redirect | Short-term moves |
| 404 | Not found | Page does not exist |
| 410 | Gone | Removed on purpose, not coming back |
| 500 / 503 | Server error / unavailable | Problems or maintenance |
Common mistakes
- “Soft 404s”: missing pages returning 200.
- Using 302 for permanent moves.
- Long maintenance periods returning errors.
Maintenance
Use 503 with a short retry time for planned maintenance.
Fix with redirects
Generate 301 rules with our redirect generator and check URLs with our URL parser.
Read 404 errors and redirects.
Want the full picture? This article is part of SEO: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
