What is a 404 page?
A 404 page is what a site shows when a URL does not exist. How to do one well, and how Goodspeed prevents avoidable 404s on a migration.
Founder of Goodspeed
A 404 page is what a website shows when someone requests a URL that does not exist. The name comes from the HTTP status code 404, which means "not found". The status is for browsers and search engines. The visible page is for the person who landed there, and it should help them get back to something useful.
A 404 is the right response when the content is gone and has no replacement. If the content has moved, the right response is a 301 redirect, not a well-written 404. That is why a redirect map matters so much on a migration.
Why does a 404 page matter?
People arrive on missing URLs from old bookmarks, outdated search listings, mistyped links and emails. A blank error, a raw server message, or a homepage loaded under the missing URL with a 200 status all make the situation worse. A clear 404 keeps the visitor on the site. A correct 404 status stops search engines treating a missing page as if it were live.
After a rebuild, a sudden spike in 404s is usually a sign that the redirect map missed something. Catching that in the first days is much cheaper than noticing it a month later.
How does Goodspeed handle 404 pages?
On a new site we design a genuine 404 that explains the miss, points to the main sections or a search, and returns the correct status. On a website migration the first job is prevention: a signed-off map, tested on staging. After launch we watch Search Console for 404s in the first 30 days and add redirects where a useful destination exists. Launch-week QA includes clicking a sample of old URLs and the 404 page itself.
Migrations start from $10,000 and include that map and the first month of monitoring. You can start a URL first pass with the migration planner.
What does a typical 404 setup look like in practice?
A marketing site ships with a 404 that uses the same header and footer as the rest of the site, a short sentence that the page is missing, and links to products, resources and contact. After launch, Search Console shows a cluster of 404s on an old /blog/ tag URL. That tag has no equivalent, so we 301 it to the new insights index rather than leaving people on the 404, and we note the decision on the map.
What are the common mistakes?
- Returning a 200 status on a missing URL, which creates a soft 404.
- Showing a raw host or CDN error with no way back into the site.
- Relying on a pretty 404 instead of a complete redirect map.
- Forgetting to test the 404 on the production domain, including HTTPS and trailing slashes.
- Never looking at 404 reports after launch week.
Common questions
What is a 404 page?
A 404 page is the page a website shows when the requested URL does not exist. The 404 status tells browsers and search engines the page is missing. The visible page should help the person find a useful next step rather than leaving them at a dead end.
Should a missing URL always show a 404?
If the content is gone and has no sensible replacement, yes. If the page has moved, use a 301 to the new URL instead of a custom 404. Soft 404s, where a missing URL returns a 200 and a thin page, should be avoided.
What should a good 404 page include?
A plain explanation that the page is missing, a search or a short list of useful links, and a way to reach the homepage or the main sections. It should return a real 404 status, not a 200, and it should not be a blank or a generic server error.
How does Goodspeed handle 404 pages on a migration?
We try to prevent them with a signed-off redirect map, then we watch Search Console in the first 30 days and fix any we missed. The 404 page itself is designed and tested as part of launch-week QA. Migrations start from $10,000.
Which related terms should you read next?
You can also browse the glossary, the resources hub, try the migration planner, or book a call.
About the Author
Founder of Goodspeed
Harish Malhi is the founder of Goodspeed. He left Google in 2019 to build his own product, and started Goodspeed to give other founders the same head start. Today the studio designs and builds websites and the whole digital experience around them for funded tech companies, at the moments that matter: a raise, a launch, a press cycle. Goodspeed is a Framer Enterprise Expert, was Bubble’s Agency of the Year in 2024, and has shipped 300+ products, including launch pages for an NVIDIA-backed AI lab and a Webby-nominated site for a Boeing-backed aviation company. It holds a 5.0 rating from 46 reviews on Clutch.
