404 logs document errors on a web server that occur when a requested page or resource cannot be found.
Here are some sample use cases for 404 error logs:
- Identify broken links – Analyze 404 logs to find pages receiving high numbers of 404s. This helps locate broken internal links, external links, or moved content that needs to be updated.
- Fix site navigation – A spike in 404s for a specific section may indicate an issue with site navigation or taxonomy that’s leading users to dead ends.
- Surface missing content – 404 logs point to topics and content that users are searching for but cannot find on your site. This informs content gaps that should be filled.
- Guide content creation – High 404 traffic for a term or topic signals user interest and indicates the need for related content on your site.
- Detect issues and bugs – Spikes in 404s may reveal site issues like a page or file that should have restricted access. Helps identify anything that should return 403 or 500 errors instead.
- Improve site search – Analyzing common search 404s leads to tweaks and additions to enhance relevancy and refine site search functionality.
- Enhance UX – Replace bare 404 pages with custom pages and navigation to improve user experience when a 404 does occur.
Overall, 404 logs provide insight to broken links and visibility into content gaps that affect site navigation and on-site user experience. Reviewing them regularly ensures issues get addressed.
404 Logs in WordPress
All in One SEO (AIOSEO) includes a Redirection Manager which enables users to log 404 errors. Users can control how long 404 logs are kept.
After viewing 404 logs, users can click Add Redirect to redirect the 404 URL.
Learn more in Logging 404 Errors in All in One SEO (AIOSEO).
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