404 Not Found | HTTP Status Code

Explanation

The 404 (Not Found) status code indicates that the server cannot find the requested resource. A 404 response means that the server understands the request but cannot find the requested URI, or it's unwilling to disclose whether it exists.

This status is commonly returned when:
- The URI does not exist on the server
- The resource has been deleted
- The resource has been moved without redirection
- The site is trying to hide the existence of a resource

Since this status code is commonly encountered by users, many websites customize their 404 error pages to provide helpful guidance about how to find the missing resource. Although search engines may temporarily retain copies of a document that has returned a 404 status, they will eventually remove the document from their indices.

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Content-Type: text/html

<html>
<head>
<title>Not Found</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Not Found</h1>
<p>The requested URL /missing-page was not found on this server.</p>
</body>
</html>

Related Status Codes

403 403 Forbidden 410 410 Gone