HTTP Status Codes and SEO: What 2xx, 3xx & 4xx Mean
Updated at: 2025-05-13.
HTTP Status Codes & SEO Impact
🔵 2xx – Success (Best for SEO)
- 200 OK: Page is live and indexable – perfect for SEO.
- 204 No Content: No visible content – avoid if the page should rank.
🟡 3xx – Redirects (OK if used wisely)
- 301 Moved Permanently: Safely redirects and passes SEO value (~90-99%).
- 302 Temporary: Redirects temporarily — may not pass SEO juice.
- 307/308: Modern redirects — treat like 302/301 depending on use.
🔴 4xx – Client Errors (Bad for SEO)
- 404 Not Found: Broken page – fix or redirect important URLs.
- 410 Gone: Clean removal signal – use only when intentional.
- 403 Forbidden: Google can't crawl – check and fix access settings.
