Why is error 404

Every time you try to access a link on the web or visit a site, you're actually telling a server that's located somewhere to send you a page. For example, when you go to Amazon. This is called a request. The server then responds to your request by sending you back a page.

And this system of communication is known as HTTP. If you were talking to a real person, it would go something like this:. You: I want to see your Today's Deals page. Amazon's server: Okay, got it. It's coming right away. Broken links are often left for long periods of time after the page has been deleted or moved. The reason for this is that websites that link to this page are not informed that the site doesn't exist anymore or that it can be found under a new URL.

It's common for websites not to check their external links regularly, leading to users trying to access a dead link.

That's why webmasters need to perform regular website maintenance. Have you ever tried to access a page in search of some information only to discover a error? What did you do at that moment? Chances are you closed the tab and went on searching for a different site.

This is how the majority of users behave on the internet. The more pages you have on your site, the fewer time users will spend on the site. And the longer you have a broken link on your site, the more users will experience the error. The search engine algorithms pay special attention to how users behave on your website. Their online behavior has a major role in the ranking process.

And an HTTP code is one of the most frustrating things your visitors can come across. Once they see that the content they're trying to reach is unavailable , they will leave your site and go to your competitor's. Apart from a negative user experience, high bounce rates due to broken links can negatively affect your SEO.

If a user enters your page but soon leaves without clicking anywhere, this signals to Google that your result doesn't match the user's intent. As a result, it will rank your page lower in the search results. SSL certificate. Save now. How to fix the error ' Not Found' A error is rarely a reason to celebrate.

Our advice would be to try out these potential solutions in the order that they are listed : Reload the page : It might be that the error has appeared for the simple reason that the page did not load properly. Check the URL : Regardless of whether you have entered the URL address manually or been directed via a link, could be that a mistake has been made. For this reason you should check the specified path of the website.

It could be that either you, or the person who entered the link, has mistyped something. Apart from spelling mistakes, it could also be that forward slashes have been left out or misplaced. Go back through the directory levels : For example, if a URL of the following structure example. All you need to do is clear the last directory in the URL. The link for the page you are looking for should be visible on the previous page.

If it is not to be found on that page then you can also go back to the previous page and look for the correct link there. But if it so happens that this method is also successful and you eventually end up back on the homepage, then move onto the next tip.

By entering one or several keywords, it can help you find the specific page that you are looking for.

Use a search engine : You also have the possibility of using the website of your choice to find a website. Delete the browser cache and cookies: Ifyou can access the website from another device, and the HTTP error only seems to appear on a certain computer, then the problem could lie with your browser.

Therefore you should delete the browser cache as well as all cookies for this site, and this may then finally allow you to access the page. The operators of the website should be able to provide information as to whether the page you are looking for actually exists.

It might be the case that the page in question has been moved to a new URL, and in this scenario you will be doing the website operator a big favor. They can then carry out a error fix by introducing a domain redirect , which will automatically direct users from the old web page to the current one. Three of the best and most well-known are: Google Search Console formerly known as 'Google Webmaster Tools' : if you already have a Google account and have registered your website there, you should make use of the Google Search Console option.

Any errors found by the Google crawler are displayed in the web tool and can also be marked as corrected here too. It's the easiest way to tell a user that they're in the wrong place. Even Business Insider has its own pages , which display when you try to visit a page that doesn't exist.

That said, compared to the early days of the internet, finding errors isn't as easy as it used to be. There are two reasons for this:. If you receive a error when trying to reach a particular webpage, it's not always clear what went wrong. Here are some ways you can try to resolve a error:. If you're getting reports of errors on a site that you manage, make sure that no pages have been deleted accidentally, and that all your links and buttons lead to the correct URLs.

You can use free tools like Dead Link Checker to find your broken links and missing pages. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Check for errors in the URL. Move up one directory level at a time in the URL until you find something. For example, if www.

If you get nothing here or an error , move up to www. This should lead you toward what you're looking for or at least confirm that it's no longer available. If you have moved all the way up to the website's home page, try to run a search for the information you're looking for. If the site doesn't have a search function, try navigating to the page you want using category links to dig deeper into the site.

Search for the page from a popular search engine. It's possible that you simply have the entirely wrong URL in which case a quick Google or Bing search should get you where you want to go. If you do find the page you were after, update your bookmark or favorite to avoid the HTTP error in the future.

Clear your browser's cache if you have any indication that the message might just be yours. For example, if you can reach the URL from your phone but not from your tablet, clearing the cache on your tablet's browser might help. You might also consider clearing your browser's cookies or at least the one s involved with the website in question if clearing the cache didn't work.

Change the DNS servers used by your computer, but usually only if an entire website is giving you a error, especially if the website is available to those on other networks e. No matter the reason, if it does happen, giving another set of DNS servers a try is a good step to take. Contact the website directly. If they've removed the page you're after then the error is completely legitimate and they should be able to tell you that.

If they've moved the page and are generating errors instead of redirecting visitors to the new page, they'll be happy to hear from you so they can go fix it.

If you suspect that everyone is getting a error for this site, but you're not sure, a quick check on Twitter might help clear it up. All you have to do is search Twitter for websitedown , as in facebookdown or youtubedown.