Understanding 4xx Error Codes And How to Fix Them

You probably must have gotten the classic 404 page-not-found error when trying to visit some webpage. That is a perfect example of a 4xx error which is part of the HTTP client error status code and there are a lot more of them.

HTTP status codes are three-digit responses from the server to the browser-side request.

These status codes also known as response status codes are a means by which the server communicates with the web browser.

And as stated earlier, there are different HTTP responses but they can be differentiated by the first digits.

We will be taking a look at the 4xx Error code and how we can fix them.

What are 4xx Errors

HTTP 4xx status code between 400 and 499 indicates a client error. A 4XX Error often occurs when a webpage you intend to visit doesn’t exist or has restricted access or rights.

4xx error is an indication that there is a problem with the user request, not with the server response.

There are several 4xx error codes with each having its unique meaning

In terms of SEO, the most common 4xx error codes include:

Error 404 (Not Found): This 4xx error code is an indication that the requested resources such as a webpage, file, or image could not be found on the web server. This might be due to so many factors either the resources have been deleted, broken link, incorrect URL, or site migration.

Error 401 (Unauthorized): A 401 error happens when your browser denies you access to the page or resources that you’re trying to visit usually happens because you are not logged in or do not have the necessary permissions.

Error 403 (Forbidden): This error code indicates that the server understands the request, but is refusing to fulfil it due to permissions or other restrictions.

The 403 Forbidden error indicates that your request is understood by the server but is not allowed access to the resources that you are trying to access.

This can be caused by authentication or authorization failure, or maybe your IP address has been blocked from accessing such resources.

Error 410 (Gone): When you get an Error 410, it is an indication that the resource you are trying to access has been permanently deleted. Error 410 is somewhat similar to a 404 error, but it explicitly indicates that the resource has been intentionally removed and will not be coming back.

How to fix the 4xx

4xx errors are relatively easy to fix.

To fix these errors, you must first understand what brought about the error in the first place so that you can resolve it accordingly.

Here are a few steps you can take to fix 4xx errors

1. For incorrect URLs, check the spelling of the URL that you might have mistyped, and correct it accordingly.
2. Check user permissions: If you are experiencing a 403 error, You will need to contact your web administrator to request access or check your user account settings.
3. Try clearing your cookies and cache. Sometimes your web browser might be using an invalid or expired cookies. Your browser may have cached a corrupt version of the web page you are trying to access
4. Reload/Refresh the page: Sometimes, 4xx errors can occur due to temporary issues, such as network connectivity. All you need to do in such an instance is simply reload the page.

Final Thoughts

4xx errors can harm SEO if they are not handled properly. Experiencing any form of error 4xx can result in a poor user experience and make it difficult for search engine bots to crawl and index your website, which can lead to a drop in search engine rankings.

You must constantly monitor your website for 4xx errors and fix them promptly. Google search console is a good tool that you can use to identify 4xx errors and other issues that may be affecting your website’s SEO.