404 vs 410: How to Handle Removed Pages the Right Way

When you remove a page, the status code you return tells search engines what to do with it. The choice between 404, 410, and a redirect is not arbitrary.

The difference

• 404 (Not Found): the page is missing. Google may keep checking back for a while in case it returns.
• 410 (Gone): the page is intentionally and permanently removed. Google tends to drop it from the index faster.

Which to use, and when to redirect instead

1. Redirect (301) if there is a relevant replacement page — preserve the equity.
2. 410 if the page is gone for good with no equivalent (expired products, deleted content) and you want it out of the index promptly.
3. 404 is a fine default for genuinely missing pages; you do not need to convert every 404 to 410.

Common mistakes

• Redirecting every dead page to the homepage — Google treats these as soft 404s and they help nobody. (See soft 404s.)
• Leaving valuable removed pages as plain 404s when a relevant replacement exists — redirect those instead.
• Returning 200 for a "not found" page — the worst case; it creates soft 404s.

Related: Soft 404s · Redirects FAQ