HTTP Status Code

Why They Matter

• They tell crawlers what to do with each URL. A 200 means "index this page." A 301 means "this page has permanently moved — update your records." A 404 means "this does not exist." Wrong codes send crawlers down the wrong path entirely.
• They directly affect indexing. If a moved page returns a 200 instead of a 301, search engines may index both the old and new versions, splitting your ranking signals between two URLs. Correct status codes keep things clean.
• They shape the user experience. A well-handled 404 page with helpful navigation is far better than a generic server error. A poorly configured redirect chain that bounces users through five hops wastes their time.
• Server errors (5xx) signal reliability problems. Frequent 500 or 503 errors tell crawlers your site is unstable. If this happens often enough, crawlers will visit less frequently and rankings can drop.

How to Handle Them Properly

1. Use 301 for permanent moves. When a page permanently changes URLs, set up a 301 redirect from the old address to the new one. This transfers ranking signals and sends users to the right place.
2. Use 302 only for temporary changes. If a page is temporarily unavailable or you are testing a new URL, use a 302. Do not use 302 for permanent moves — it tells crawlers the old URL might come back.
3. Create a helpful 404 page. Custom 404 pages with site navigation, a search bar, and links to popular content help users recover when they hit a dead end. Never serve a blank page or a generic server error for missing URLs.
4. Monitor for unexpected 5xx errors. Server errors happen, but frequent or persistent 500-series codes mean something is broken. Set up alerts so you know when your server is returning errors before your visitors (or crawlers) give up.
5. Eliminate redirect chains. If page A redirects to B, which redirects to C, which redirects to D — that is a chain. Each hop adds load time and loses a small amount of ranking signal. Point every redirect directly to the final destination.

Common Mistakes

• Returning 200 for pages that do not exist. Some sites serve a "page not found" message with a 200 status code. This is called a "soft 404." Crawlers think the page exists and try to index it, which pollutes your search results.
• Using 302 when you mean 301. A temporary redirect tells crawlers to keep checking the old URL. If the move is permanent, a 302 prevents crawlers from updating their records and can split ranking signals indefinitely.
• Ignoring redirect chains. Adding redirects on top of old redirects without cleaning up the chain creates slow, wasteful hops. Regularly audit your redirects to make sure each one goes directly to the final URL.
• Not monitoring server errors. 500 errors can appear silently if you are not checking your server logs. Users and crawlers hit these errors and leave without you ever knowing — until your traffic drops.