What is the SEO difference between a 404 and a 410 status code?

A 404 Not Found indicates a page is missing, causing Googlebot to re-check the URL several times before dropping it from search results. A 410 Gone explicitly tells Google the page was permanently deleted, prompting crawlers to remove the URL from Google index much faster.

How does Google handle 503 Service Unavailable?

When a site returns 503 with a 'Retry-After' header, Googlebot understands the server is under temporary maintenance. Google does not drop the URLs from the index and will return to crawl later.

Do 301 redirects pass full Google PageRank?

Yes. Google Search representatives have confirmed that 301 Permanent Redirects pass approximately 90-99% of original link equity and PageRank to the destination URL.

Webmaster & Search Engine Diagnostic

HTTP Status Codes Directory

Search all HTTP response codes, understand Googlebot crawler behavior, diagnose indexation errors, and learn exact PageRank impacts.

What are HTTP Status Codes?

HTTP Status Codes are 3-digit response codes issued by a web server in response to a client's request (such as a web browser or a search engine crawler like Googlebot). Grouped into five distinct classes (1xx Informational, 2xx Success, 3xx Redirection, 4xx Client Error, and 5xx Server Error), these codes communicate whether a request succeeded, where a resource moved, or why a server encountered a fault.

Key HTTP Codes and Their SEO Impact

200 OK

The standard successful response. Google crawls and indexes 200 OK pages normally.

301 Moved Permanently

Transfers 90-99% of PageRank link equity to the new URL. Google consolidates signals to the destination.

404 Not Found vs 410 Gone

404 URLs are re-checked multiple times before de-indexing. 410 Gone signals permanent deletion and speeds up de-indexing.

503 Service Unavailable

Used during server maintenance. Prevents Google from dropping pages from the index while systems update.

Step-by-Step: Diagnosing HTTP Crawling Errors

Identify Status Code: Check Google Search Console's "Page Indexing" report to locate failing URLs.
Inspect Impact: Use this directory to review whether the code passes link equity or drops the page from Google.
Implement Permanent Fix: Add 301 redirects for migrated content or restore 404 pages that were removed accidentally.
Validate in Search Console: Request re-crawling in Google Search Console to clear the error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a "Soft 404" in Google Search Console?

A Soft 404 occurs when a server returns a 200 OK status code for a missing, thin, or empty webpage. Google considers this an error because crawlers waste crawl budget indexing blank pages. Always return an actual 404 or 410 header.

Does a 302 redirect hurt SEO?

A 302 is designed for temporary moves (like testing or geo-redirection). Unlike a 301, it does not transfer link equity immediately because Google assumes the original URL will return.

Can 500 Internal Server Errors hurt rankings?

Yes! If a website returns persistent 500-level errors for more than a few days, Googlebot will throttle its crawl rate and temporarily drop affected pages from search results.