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If you have clicked a link and landed on a page that shows a What Is a 404 Error Code, you know that annoying feeling. An error message just means that the page you wanted cannot be found. This happens on many websites. It usually means that the page was deleted, the URL was mistyped, or a broken link is pointing there. Website owners face this issue as well. The good news is that once you know why it happens, you’ll most likely be able to fix it. What Is a 404 Error Code? A 404 error page is shown when a website’s server is not able to find the page requested by the user. It is classified as a client error because the error is the user’s request, not an error with the server. This can occur if data was deleted or if there was an old reference URL that was updated. As an example, if a link we find in search results points to a page that does not exist, it is likely that our browser displays this page in this format. Search engines like Google into consideration with this error code as well. Too many of these can negatively impact a site’s rankings. Common 404 Error Messages A 404 error can appear in many different formats depending on the website or server configuration. While the wording may change, they all mean the same thing: the requested page could not be found. Here are the most common variations you might see: HTTP 404 Cannot Find the Page You’re Looking For Requested URL Not Found on the Server 404 File or Directory Not Found 404 Page Not Found 404 Not Found File or Directory Not Found 404 error code 8 Common Causes of 404 Status Code A 404 error page can appear for many reasons. Most causes are small, but when left unchecked, they create a poor user experience. Below are the most common causes of the 404 status code. Deleted or moved pages: When a page is deleted but links still exist, the server will show a 404 error message. Many websites remove old content but forget to redirect the old URL. The page is gone, but users keep trying to access it through search results or other websites. This is one of the easiest causes to prevent with simple redirects. Changed slugs: The slug is the part of the URL that comes after the domain name. When a website owner changes the slug, the original URL breaks. For example, contact-us might change to contact. Without a redirect, the user lands on a 404 page. Small changes like this break internal links and external links across the site. Typos in URLs: Sometimes the error comes from a simple typing mistake. A user attempts to enter a URL but misses a letter. The server cannot find the requested page and instead shows a client error. Even a single missing character in the HTML code creates this problem. Website owners can help by creating an error page with a search bar so users can try again. DNS setup issues: If DNS settings are wrong, the server cannot direct the request to the right place. The result is a 404 status code. The issue is not the page itself but configuration errors in the setup. Fixing it often means checking the server or .htaccess file for errors. Outdated cache and cookies: In some cases, the user’s browser is the problem. Outdated cache or cookie data may point to a page that no longer exists. When the browser tries to open it, the server sends an error code. Refreshing the page or clearing the cache usually solves the issue. Missing files: Sometimes links on a website still point to images, scripts, or other files that were deleted. When the server cannot deliver the file, a 404 error page shows up. This often happens after redesigns. Website owners should double-check that all HTML and media files still exist after updates. htaccess issues: The .htaccess file tells the server how to handle requests. If there is a mistake in this file, working links may suddenly show 404 error code messages. Website owners should back up the file before making edits so they can avoid major problems. Broken redirects: Redirects should send users from an old URL to a new URL. When they are set up incorrectly, they can point to deleted pages and cause error pages anyway. This not only frustrates users but also creates a poor user experience. How Users Can Fix a 404 Error? Running into a 404 error page can be frustrating. Before giving up on the data you want, try these steps. They can often solve the issue and get you back to the correct page. Double-check the URL for typos: Always check the URL in the search bar. A small mistake in HTML letters or numbers can cause a 404 error code. Correcting the typo may take you straight to the page. Refresh the webpage: Sometimes the server has a temporary issue. Refreshing the page sends a new request to the server. If the problem was a small glitch, the page may load correctly. Search the web: If the requested page was moved, you may still find it through search results. Type the page name into Google or another search engine. Many websites keep the same data under a new URL. Use another device: At times, the problem comes from the device itself. Try opening the same URL on your phone or another computer. If it works there, clear the cache or cookies on the first device. Go to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine: If a page no longer exists, try the Wayback Machine. It stores older versions of many websites. Enter the URL, and you might see the deleted page from the past. Contact the website: If nothing works, contact the website owners. They may not know the links are broken. A quick message helps them fix the issue and possibly send you the new URL. How Website Owners Can Fix 404 Errors? For website owners,