How to Fix 404 Errors in Blogger

A 404 error indicates that a requested page cannot be found on your website. This can occur due to broken links, deleted pages, or incorrect URLs. Fixing 404 errors in Blogger ensures a smoother user experience and helps maintain your blog’s SEO health. Here’s a step-by-step guide to diagnose and resolve 404 errors in Blogger:

Step 1: Identify the Source of the 404 Error

1. Check the URL: Verify that the URL causing the 404 error is correctly typed and leads to an existing page or post. Sometimes, typos or incorrect URLs can trigger a 404 error.
2. Review Blog Posts and Pages:
   • Go to Posts or Pages in your Blogger dashboard to see if the content has been accidentally deleted or moved.
   • Make sure that the posts or pages causing the error are still published and not set to draft or deleted.
3. Check for Broken Links:
   • Use tools like Broken Link Checker to identify broken links on your blog. This tool will scan your site and report any broken or dead links that may be causing 404 errors.

Step 2: Fix Broken Links

1. Update Links:
   • If you find broken links pointing to your blog, update them with the correct URLs.
   • Edit the posts or pages where these links are located and replace the broken links with the correct ones.
2. Redirect URLs:
   • If you’ve moved or renamed a post or page, set up a redirect to the new URL.
   • To set up redirects in Blogger, you’ll need to use custom redirects in the blog’s settings:
     1. Access Settings:
        • Go to Settings in your Blogger dashboard.
     2. Search Preferences:
        • Scroll down to Search preferences and look for Custom Redirects.
     3. Add Redirects:
        • Click Edit and add the old URL and the new URL to redirect visitors.

        Example:

        • Old URL: /old-post-url
        • New URL: /new-post-url
     4. Save Changes.

Step 3: Update or Recreate Missing Content

1. Recreate Deleted Content:
   • If the page or post was deleted but should still be available, recreate it with the same content or updated information.
2. Update Links to New Content:
   • If you’ve recreated or moved content, ensure that all internal and external links are updated to point to the new URLs.

Step 4: Customize the 404 Error Page

1. Create a Custom 404 Page:
   • To provide a better user experience, you can create a custom 404 error page that guides users back to your blog’s main content or homepage.

   Here’s how to set up a custom 404 page:

   1. Go to Pages:
      • In your Blogger dashboard, go to Pages and click New Page.
   2. Design the Custom 404 Page:
      • Title the page as “404 – Page Not Found” and add a message that helps users navigate back to your blog. For example:
        html

        Copy code

        <h1>404 - Page Not Found</h1>
<p>Sorry, the page you’re looking for doesn’t exist. You can return to our <a href="/">homepage</a> or check out our <a href="/posts">latest posts</a>.</p>

   3. Publish the Page.
   4. Edit HTML:
      • Go to Theme > Edit HTML.
      • Add code to redirect to your custom 404 page if a user encounters a 404 error. For example:
        html

        Copy code

        <script>
if (document.location.href.indexOf("404") !== -1) {
document.location.href = "/p/404.html";
}
</script>

   5. Save Changes.

Step 5: Monitor and Maintain

1. Regularly Check for Errors:
   • Periodically check for broken links and 404 errors using tools and by manually reviewing your site.
2. Update Content and Links:
   • Regularly update old content, fix broken links, and ensure that URLs are correct to prevent future 404 errors.

Conclusion

Fixing 404 errors on your Blogger blog helps improve user experience and maintains the credibility of your site. By identifying broken links, updating or recreating content, and creating a custom 404 page, you can effectively manage and resolve 404 errors. Regular monitoring and maintenance will help keep your blog running smoothly. Happy blogging!