Overview

How to Fix 404 Errors Issues on Your Wix

How to Fix 404 Errors Issues on Your Wix

A 404 error on your Wix site means the page you are trying to access does not exist at the URL entered. This can negatively impact your site’s SEO rankings and user experience by leading visitors to dead ends.

What Causes 404 Errors on Wix?

• The site is not published yet.
• Incorrect URL entered.
• Domain is not properly connected.
• Links from search engines point to outdated or deleted pages.
• Page URL was changed or the page was deleted.

How to Identify and Resolve 404 Errors on Wix

1. Reload the page with Ctrl + F5 (Cmd + R on Mac) to clear cache.
2. Verify the URL is correct and re-enter it.
3. Navigate to your homepage and access the page via site links.
4. If the error is on a dynamic page, follow Wix’s dynamic page troubleshooting.
5. Try accessing the page in a different supported browser and clear your browser cache if needed.
6. Ensure your domain is properly connected and published.

Customizing Your Wix 404 Error Page

To improve user experience and SEO, create a custom 404 page:

1. Open your Wix Editor.
2. Click Pages & Menu on the left.
3. Click Add Menu Item > New Page > (404) Error Page.
4. Choose a template and click Add Page.
5. Customize the page:
   • Change text to match your site’s tone.
   • Add site menu and links to popular pages.
   • Replace the default image with relevant vector art.
6. Publish your site.

Best Practices to Prevent 404 Errors

• Always publish your site after changes.
• Avoid changing URLs without proper redirects.
• Regularly audit your site for broken links.
• Use Wix tools and plugins to monitor site health.
• Customize your 404 page to guide visitors back to active content.

Summary Checklist

• [ ] Site is published.
• [ ] URLs are correct and consistent.
• [ ] Domain is connected properly.
• [ ] Broken or outdated links are fixed.
• [ ] Custom 404 page is created and published.
• [ ] Regular site audits are scheduled.

Following these steps will help you quickly fix 404 errors on your Wix site, improve SEO, and maintain a positive user experience.

For more detailed troubleshooting, visit Wix Support or contact Wix Customer Care.

(Wix Support: https://support.wix.com/en/article/live-site-error-error-404-not-found, https://support.wix.com/en/article/wix-editor-customizing-your-404-error-page)

What Is the “404 Errors” Issue?

• SEO Error Type: 404 Errors
• Relevant Platform: Wix

Impact on SEO and User Experience

404 errors create dead ends that frustrate visitors and increase bounce rates while reducing session duration, signaling poor user experience to search engines (ZAG Interactive). They also prompt Google to remove missing URLs from its index and throttle crawling of similar paths—wasting crawl budget and impeding the discovery of new or updated content (Wix).

Common Causes on Wix

The most frequent reasons for 404 errors on Wix websites include: not having published the site yet, entering the wrong URL in the browser’s address bar, improper domain connection, clicking on outdated cached links from search engine results, and pages that no longer exist due to deletion or URL changes. Additionally, soft 404 errors may occur if Google detects pages with little or no original content or if pages were recently deleted. These errors can also arise from technical issues or Wix’s auto-generated hashtag URLs that lead to non-existent pages. Users are advised to verify URLs, ensure the site is published, check domain connections, and update or remove outdated links to resolve these errors. Optimizing page content with unique and organic text and adding alt text to images can help prevent soft 404 errors.

How to Identify “404 Errors” Issues

1. Manual Check: Browse your Wix site as a visitor and click on links to see if any lead to a 404 error page (Page Not Found).
2. Use Wix SEO Tools: In your Wix dashboard, go to the SEO Tools section to find reports on broken URLs or 404 errors.
3. Check Google Search Console: Access the Coverage or Crawl Errors report in Google Search Console linked to your Wix site to identify 404 errors.
4. Use Online Broken Link Checkers: Optionally, use tools like Dead Link Checker to scan your site for broken links, though Wix’s built-in tools are preferred for integration.
   These steps help you identify and verify 404 errors on your Wix website effectively, enabling you to address them promptly to improve SEO and user experience.

How to Fix “404 Errors” on Wix

To fix 404 errors on your Wix website, follow these detailed platform-specific steps:

1. Customize Your 404 Error Page:
   • Go to your Wix Editor.
   • Click Pages & Menu on the left side.
   • Click Add Menu Item at the bottom of the panel.
   • Choose New Page and then select (404) Error Page.
   • Hover over the template you want and click Add Page.
   • Customize the page to match your site’s style: change text, add site menu, and add links to popular sections to keep visitors engaged.
   • Change the default image by clicking on it and selecting a new vector art.
   • Publish your site.
2. Fix Blog Post 404 Errors (if applicable):
   • If blog post pages return 404 errors, try deleting the blog and blog app from Manage Pages, then publish changes.
   • Re-add the blog page and republish.
   • Check the blog post URL structure under Settings > SEO Settings > Blog Posts > Customize defaults > Edit (Page URL option).
   • Sometimes toggling the URL structure to an incorrect value and then back to the correct one can reset the URLs and fix the issue.
3. Address Soft 404 Errors:
   • Use Google Search Console to identify soft 404 errors.
   • Review affected pages for meaningful, unique content.
   • If pages are deleted or not meant to appear in search, these errors can be ignored.
   • Optimize content with unique text and add alt text to images.
   • Request reindexing in Google Search Console using the URL Inspection Tool.
4. General Troubleshooting:
   • Check for broken links or incorrect URLs leading to 404 errors.
   • Use Wix’s built-in tools or third-party SEO apps to scan your site.
   • Regularly monitor your site’s health and fix broken links promptly.
5. Test Your 404 Page:
   • Visit any non-existent URL on your site by adding random letters or numbers after your domain.
   • Ensure your customized 404 page appears and provides helpful navigation options.

Following these actionable steps will help you resolve 404 errors on Wix, improve user experience, and maintain your site’s SEO health effectively.

Screenshots and Tool Recommendations

• Screenshot: Wix editor interface showing ‘Add Page’ and ‘404 Page’ selection for creating a custom 404 page.
• Screenshot: SEO settings panel in Wix editor with ‘Custom 404 Error Page’ dropdown to link the custom 404 page.
• Screenshot: Wix SEO Wiz dashboard for identifying broken links and pages with errors.
• Screenshot: Wix URL Redirect Manager interface for setting up 301 redirects.
• Screenshot: Example custom 404 page design with consistent branding, clear messaging, and call-to-action buttons.
• Screenshot: Google Analytics report showing traffic to 404 pages for monitoring.
• Screenshot: Wix Studio manage pages interface showing blog app removal and re-addition to fix blog post 404 errors.
• Screenshot: Wix SEO Settings for Blog Posts URL customization to fix blog post URL structure issues.

Best Practices for Prevention

To prevent 404 errors from recurring on your Wix website, implement these platform-specific best practices:

• Create a custom 404 error page that is user-friendly, visually consistent with your brand, and provides helpful navigation options such as links to the homepage, popular pages, or a search bar to guide visitors.
• Ensure that non-existent pages return the correct 404 HTTP status code rather than a soft 404 (which returns a 200 OK status with no content), so search engines properly recognize missing pages.
• Use Wix’s URL Redirect Manager to set up 301 redirects for pages that have been moved or deleted, preserving SEO value and preventing broken links.
• Regularly monitor your site for 404 errors using tools like Google Search Console, SEMRush, or Screaming Frog to identify and fix broken links promptly.
• Keep your internal links and navigation updated to avoid linking to deleted or moved pages.
• Use clear, concise, and friendly messaging on your 404 page, potentially with creative or humorous elements to improve user experience.

Following these steps helps maintain your Wix site’s SEO health, improves user experience, and efficiently manages crawl budget by search engines. (Wix SEO Hub, Grocliq, WIXCreate)

Prevention Checklist

• Regularly monitor Google Search Console for soft 404 and 404 errors to identify missing or misconfigured pages.
• Ensure that pages that do not exist return a proper 404 HTTP status code rather than a 200 OK or other codes.
• Create and customize a friendly and helpful 404 error page in Wix to guide visitors back to main content or popular sections.
• Use Wix’s URL Redirect Manager to set up 301 redirects from old or moved URLs to new locations to avoid broken links.
• Include links to main pages, a search bar, or sitemap on the 404 page to improve user experience and reduce bounce rates.
• Test your 404 error page by visiting non-existent URLs on your site to ensure it displays correctly and returns the right status code.
• Keep your site structure updated and remove or redirect outdated URLs to minimize 404 errors.
• Ensure you have a Wix premium plan to enable customization of your 404 error page.
• Maintain ongoing site health by promptly fixing broken links and redirect chains using Wix SEO tools.
• Consult Wix support or resources if your 404 page is not returning the correct status code or if you encounter unusual 404 issues.

Ongoing Maintenance and Monitoring

To prevent 404 errors from recurring on your Wix website, it is important to regularly monitor your site using Google Search Console to detect any soft 404 or traditional 404 errors. Ensure that non-existent pages return the proper 404 HTTP status code by creating and configuring a custom 404 error page in the Wix Editor. For pages that have been moved, set up 301 redirects using Wix’s URL Redirect Manager to guide visitors and search engines to the new page locations. Make your 404 pages user-friendly by including links to main pages, a search bar, or a sitemap to improve user experience and reduce bounce rates. Regularly review and update your redirects and error pages to maintain SEO health and efficient crawling by search engines. This ongoing maintenance helps ensure your site remains in good standing with search engines and provides a positive experience for visitors. (WixCreate, Wix Support)

Who Should Use This Guide

• Webmasters
• Site owners
• Digital marketers
• Wix website owners
• SEO professionals working with Wix

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