When to use this check
For a move, preserve the path to an appropriate replacement. Use 404 or 410 when removed content has no replacement. Treat a temporary server failure as an outage rather than permanent removal.
Know what you are checking.
An HTTP response tells clients whether content exists, moved or failed. A visible “not found” message returned with status 200 is different from a genuine 404 response.
A practical example
Before /old-repair → /repair-2024 → /services/repair
After /old-repair → /services/repairA common mistake
Sending every missing page to the homepage hides broken paths without providing a useful replacement. One successful request also does not exclude intermittent server errors.
Understand the result. Make the right change.
When to redirect and when to return 404 or 410
A discontinued product, a temporarily unavailable server and a renamed service are different situations. The response should describe what happened.
- Use 301 or 308 for a permanent move to an appropriate replacement.
- Use a temporary redirect when the original destination is expected to return.
- Use 404 or 410 for removed content without a meaningful replacement.
How to choose redirect destinations during a migration
A migration needs content-level decisions. Redirecting all old articles to the homepage may technically move visitors while losing the answer they came for.
- Pair each old page with the nearest equivalent content.
- Keep useful details when consolidating several articles.
- Test an unrelated old URL so a broad rule does not capture the whole directory.
How to fix redirect chains and loops
Test the original link, every hop and the final document. A redirect is not fixed if its destination loops, requires login or shows an error with status 200.
- Point known old addresses directly to the final target where possible.
- Update internal links instead of relying on redirects forever.
- Include HTTP/HTTPS, host and trailing-slash variants in the test set.
How to investigate recurring 5xx errors
A successful retry does not explain an intermittent 503. Keep the request time and path so the server owner can compare them with logs.
- Return a real 404 with helpful navigation on a missing page.
- Investigate recurring 5xx at the application, proxy and hosting layers.
- After migration, update the XML sitemap and retain old campaign URLs in your checks.
Primary reference: developers.google.com ↗
Frequently asked questions
Should every deleted page redirect to the homepage?
No. Redirect to a relevant replacement when one exists. For permanently removed content without a replacement, an appropriate error response is clearer than an unrelated homepage. A temporary server outage is also different from permanently removed content. The status should describe the actual situation.
When the task is complete
Inspect the full chain, final status, and destination relevance. Update internal links to the final URL. Test a nonexistent path to ensure the custom error page does not accidentally return 200.