Search optimisation
404 handling
A non-existent path returns a genuine 404, not a soft 200
What we check
A non-existent path returns a genuine 404, not a soft 200
Why it matters
Soft 404s fill the index with empty pages.
How to fix it
Return a real 404 status for paths that do not exist.
How it affects your score
This check sits in Search optimisation, which is worth 25% of the overall score. A critical result costs the full weight of the check; a warning costs half. If we can't measure it on your page, we leave it out of the score entirely.