Google Search Console Broken Links: Find & Fix 404s (Step-by-Step)

What counts as a broken link?

• 404 Not Found — the URL doesn’t exist.
• Soft 404 — returns 200 OK but the page is effectively “not found” (thin/placeholder).
• 410 Gone — the URL was intentionally removed.
• Other crawl errors — 5xx server errors, DNS issues, or submitted-but-blocked pages.

Why it matters: Broken links frustrate users, waste crawl budget, and can break internal navigation. Fixing them protects rankings and conversions.

Where to find broken links in Google Search Console

1) Indexing → Pages report

• Open Indexing → Pages (formerly Coverage).
• Review Not found (404) and Soft 404 groups.
• Click a status → inspect Examples of affected URLs.
• Use Export to CSV/Sheets for bulk triage.

2) URL Inspection tool

• Paste a problematic URL into Inspect any URL.
• Check if it’s indexed, blocked, or returning 404/soft 404.
• After a fix, use Test live URL and optionally Request indexing.

3) Crawl Stats (Settings → Crawl stats)

• Watch for spikes in Not found or Server error responses—often signs of systemic issues.

4) Sitemaps

• If GSC reports Submitted URL not found (404) or Submitted URL blocked by robots.txt, clean your sitemaps or update those pages. Sitemaps should list only live, canonical URLs.

Note: GSC lists broken URLs but doesn’t directly show which page links to them. Use the methods below to find sources.

How to identify the source of a broken link

1. Run a site crawl (e.g., Screaming Frog) to find internal pages linking to a 404 URL.
2. Track 404s in analytics:
   • Make sure your custom 404 page logs the Requested URL and Referrer or fires a GA4 event.
   • In GA4, record a page_view on the 404 template with extra params (referrer, page_location).
3. Codebase search for the broken slug across templates/content.
4. GSC Links (internal) can sometimes hint at historic sources for live URLs.

Fix workflows by error type

A) URL moved or renamed → 301 redirect

• Create a 301 from the old URL to the most relevant new page.
• Update internal links to the new URL.
• Keep the 301 long-term if the old URL has backlinks.

B) Typos in internal links → fix links (plus safety redirect)

• Correct links in nav, content, collections, and templates.
• Add a safety 301 from the typo to the correct URL.

C) Product discontinued

• If a successor exists → 301 to that product or parent category.
• If permanently gone → consider 410 Gone.
• Avoid mass redirecting to the homepage (weak relevance).

D) Soft 404 (thin/empty)

• Add real content (details, related items, in-stock options).
• For empty categories, redirect to parent or hide/noindex until inventory returns.
• Consolidate duplicates and set accurate canonicals.

E) Robots/noindex conflicts

• If a page should be indexed, ensure it’s not blocked and doesn’t carry noindex.
• If it shouldn’t be indexed, remove from sitemap and consider noindex (don’t block via robots if you want Google to read the tag).

How to verify fixes in GSC

1. Use URL Inspection → Test live URL to confirm new status (200/301/410).
2. Click Request indexing where appropriate.
3. In Indexing → Pages, click Validate Fix for the issue type; GSC rechecks a sample and updates status.

Timing: Updates can take days to weeks. Validation flows usually speed things up.

How to prioritize high-impact 404s

• Group by pattern (missing folders, casing, trailing slash) and fix with one rewrite when possible.
• Check backlinks (GSC Links or external tools). 404s with external links deserve urgent 301s.
• Protect revenue paths (collections, top products, checkout steps).

Create redirects in Shopify (no server code)

Option 1 — Single redirect in the admin

1. Go to Admin → Online Store → Navigation → View URL redirects.
2. Click Create URL redirect.
3. Set Redirect from (old/broken URL) and Redirect to (most relevant live page).
4. Save. Shopify serves a 301 automatically.

Option 2 — Bulk rules with DataEase

If you have dozens or hundreds of redirects to add, use the DataEase bulk redirects tool. It supports:

• CSV upload and validation (duplicates, loops, trailing slash/casing normalization).
• Pattern transformations (e.g., whole-folder moves) and instant conflict checks.
• One-click push to Shopify’s URL redirects API and change logs for audit.

Prevent future broken links

• Keep sitemaps clean — only live, canonical URLs.
• Automate link checks — schedule a weekly crawler scan.
• Log 404s — capture referrer & requested URL; fix patterns proactively.
• Handle product lifecycle — define redirect rules for archived items.
• Consistent URL rules — enforce trailing slash, lowercase, and locale patterns.

FAQ: GSC & broken links

Does GSC show which page links to a 404?

No. Use a crawler, analytics 404 tracking, or code search.

301 or 410?

301 if a relevant alternative exists; 410 if it’s permanently removed with no substitute.

How fast will GSC update after a fix?

Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Use Validate Fix and Request indexing.

Quick checklist (Find & Fix)

1. Export 404/soft 404 from Indexing → Pages.
2. Group by pattern; apply redirects or content fixes.
3. Find source links via crawler/analytics; correct internal links.
4. Validate Fix and Request indexing in GSC.
5. Monitor Crawl stats weekly.

Pro tip: Topify brings full GSC metrics (queries, pages, countries, devices) into one dashboard so you can spot 404-related drops and recover faster.