Latest Mailing Database · Marketing knowledge
Find and Fix Website HTTP Errors Without Hiding Them
An HTTP status describes how a server answered a request. A page can look friendly while returning the wrong status, so check the response as well as what appears in the browser. Begin with the exact failing URL.
Confirm the type of failure
Check whether the URL returns a redirect, a missing-page response or a server failure. A 404 means the resource was not found; a 5xx response points to a server-side problem. Test the public URL without an administrator session before deciding where to investigate.
Fix links you control
For a mistyped internal link, correct the source. If content moved permanently to an equivalent page, use the appropriate permanent redirect and update internal links to the destination. Do not redirect unrelated deleted pages to the homepage just to remove an error from a report.
Make missing pages usable
A genuine missing-page screen should explain the situation and offer navigation or search while retaining a suitable error response. Returning success for content that does not exist can create a soft-404 situation. Check that the template does not hide the actual status.
Investigate server errors separately
Review application and server logs, permissions and recent changes. Restore the last working version when a deployment caused the failure. Verify both the response and the important user action after the fix, then monitor recurrence rather than treating one successful reload as complete evidence.