Introduction

One of the most common errors that we come across on websites is the 404 error. It usually happens when a part of your URL or your external link is dead. URLs are case-sensitive and hence, even one small mistake can mean that a page that links to your website can lead to a dead end.

If you are unaware, 404 errors occur when the page does not exist on the server. Chances are it does exist and only the URL itself is incorrect. This issue happens frequently.  

More often than not, you do not know where the error is. And as these sources can bring you a lot of traffic it is crucial to find out where the issue is and plug it in quickly. To Find 404 errors on a website is easier said than done. You will need a guide, and a step-by-step walkthrough to find issues and figure them out. With Teckea and this guide, you will be able to quickly get back to fixing 404 errors and notice an increase in traffic on your site. 

FAQS

Before we jump in and help you fix your 404 errors, let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions. 

How do I retrieve my 404 error?

There are basically 4 ways to do that: 

1. After you find 404 errors on the website you can direct all users to a more relevant page. You should never redirect them to your home page. It has the highest chance of users exiting the site altogether.    
2. If the page you are facing issues with has a high demand and a lot of demand and the redirection doesn’t work, you should work at fixing 404 errors as quickly as you can. 
3. If the link is broken, you can fix the URL so that it leads to the page. This is the easiest fix. 
4. You can also create a 404 page so that no time is wasted. 

How do I find 404 pages on my website for free?

The fastest way to find 404 pages on your website for free is through your Google Search Console. You can log into your Google search console and then head to diagnostics. From there look at the crawl error. Here you will see “not found”, clicking on it will reveal a list of URLs where the 404 error will appear. 

How do I find 404 pages on my WordPress site?

It is equally simple for a WordPress site. You will need to use a tool to find 404 errors on the website. With the help of Teckea you can be on your way to fixing 404 errors fairly quickly. 

How do you find and fix your 404 pages?

Now the more important part of the guide is how you actually find your 404 pages and fix them. This is a 7-step guide. 

A step-by-step guide

1. First, you will need access to Google Analytics and once you do get it, you can follow the steps we have mentioned to gain access to the 404 data. Once you do that, go to any 404 page and check the title tag. 
2. In analytics, you will find Behaviour> site content> all pages. Choose the dimension as the page title. When you click on it, it shows the pages’ title tags.  
3. In the search bar on the top right, search for 404. It will return all the error pages that users landed on. 
4. Click on the first option, it will say “404 page not found”. Click on that title tag, it will lead you to all the pages that have 404 errors. You can check every page and every URL that has the same error code. 
5. You can add a secondary dimension, this will help you see the sources from where the traffic came about. And if your landing page and page are different, you will also be able to find errors in the internal systems.  
6. You now need to sort the list and then export it. The sorting should prioritize the 404 pages. 
7. Once you have the work cut out, there are 2 options

1. You can fix up the link and resolve the issue. 
2. If that is not possible you can redirect them to a page. The one that is returning 404 should be re-routed to a page that returns 200. 

These steps will help you find pages with issues and resolve them quickly. Fixing those error pages can help you earn a lot of revenue and perhaps, new customers even.  

Conclusion 

This guide was a simple breakdown of how to find 404 errors on website and fix them. There are ways to tackle and fixing 404 errors. If you are still unable to find issues and resolve them, get in touch with us. At Teckea, we have the experience and expertise to solve these issues and keep your digital presence at its best.