WordPress 404 errors usually happen when a page is deleted but isn’t redirected to a new one. They can also occur if a page’s URL has been changed.

These errors are pretty common, especially if your website isn’t well-maintained. Sometimes, you might also see 404 errors when your site is under maintenance, causing visitors to be redirected to an error page instead.

How Do 404 Errors Affect Your Website?

404 errors might seem harmless at first, but they can have a bigger impact on your website than you think. While occasional 404s are normal like when someone mistypes a URL too many of them, especially on important pages, can cause problems like:

1. Bad Experience for Visitors
   Imagine clicking a link and landing on a “Page Not Found” screen. It’s frustrating, right? Many people will leave your site and might not come back. This can hurt your website’s reputation, increase the number of people leaving quickly (bounce rate), and even affect your SEO.

2. Hurts Your SEO and Rankings
   Search engines like Google don’t like broken links. If your site has lots of 404 errors, it could drop in search rankings. Plus, these errors can make it harder for Google to scan and list (index) your pages in search results.

3. Losing Visitors and Leads
   If the broken page was getting traffic or linked from other websites, you’ll miss out on those visitors. That’s a waste of the time and effort you spent creating the page in the first place.

4. Missed Opportunities
   Whether it’s making a sale, getting new leads, or keeping visitors engaged, 404 errors can ruin your chances. If people can’t access what they’re looking for, they’ll go to a competitor instead.