ProRank SEO

404 Error Monitoring

Automatically detect, track, and fix broken links on your website

How 404 Monitoring Works

ProRank SEO's 404 Monitor automatically tracks every 404 (Page Not Found) error that occurs on your website. It captures valuable data about broken links, helping you quickly identify and fix issues that could harm user experience and SEO rankings.

Automatic Detection Process

  1. Error Capture:When a visitor or bot encounters a 404 error, it's instantly logged
  2. Data Collection:Records URL, timestamp, referrer, user agent, and IP (anonymized)
  3. Smart Grouping:Groups similar 404s together and tracks hit frequency
  4. Redirect Suggestions:Analyzes URL patterns to suggest likely redirect targets
  5. One-Click Fix:Create redirects directly from the 404 monitor interface

404 Monitor Dashboard

Access the 404 Monitor by navigating to ProRank SEO → Technical SEO → Redirect Manager → 404 Monitor tab.

Dashboard Metrics

Total 404s
Unique URLs returning 404
Total Hits
Combined 404 occurrences
Last 24h
Recent 404 errors
Fixed
Redirects created

404 Error List

Information Captured

URL Information

  • • Full URL path that generated 404
  • • Query parameters if present
  • • File extension detection
  • • URL pattern analysis

Statistics

  • • Total hit count
  • • First occurrence date
  • • Last occurrence date
  • • Frequency trend

Referrer Data

  • • Internal pages linking to 404
  • • External sites with broken links
  • • Search engine referrals
  • • Direct traffic indicators

User Agents

  • • Browser types
  • • Search engine bots
  • • Mobile vs desktop
  • • Crawler identification

Smart Redirect Suggestions

Automatic Suggestion Algorithm

ProRank SEO analyzes 404 URLs and suggests the most likely correct destinations:

1. Similarity Matching

404 URL: /blog/seo-tips-2023
Suggested: /blog/seo-tips-2024 (similar URL exists)

404 URL: /produtcs/widget
Suggested: /products/widget (typo detection)

2. Pattern Recognition

404 URL: /old-category/post-title
Pattern: Multiple 404s from /old-category/*
Suggested: Bulk redirect to /new-category/*

3. Historical Data

404 URL: /page-that-was-deleted
Database: Found in post history
Suggested: /similar-content-page

Creating Redirects from 404s

Quick Fix Process

  1. Review 404 List:Sort by hits to prioritize high-traffic broken links
  2. Check Suggestions:Review auto-suggested redirect targets
  3. Create Redirect:

    Option A: Accept suggestion

    Option B: Custom target

  4. Verify Fix:404 is automatically removed from monitor once redirect is active

Filtering and Sorting

Filter Options

By Status

  • • New (not reviewed)
  • • Reviewed (checked but not fixed)
  • • Ignored (false positives)
  • • Fixed (redirect created)

By Source

  • • Internal links
  • • External referrers
  • • Search engines
  • • Direct traffic

By Type

  • • Pages (.html, /)
  • • Images (.jpg, .png)
  • • Documents (.pdf, .doc)
  • • Scripts/Styles (.js, .css)

Sort By

  • • Most hits (prioritize impact)
  • • Most recent (new issues)
  • • Oldest (long-standing problems)
  • • URL alphabetically

Bulk Operations

Managing Multiple 404s

Bulk Actions Available

Create Redirects

Fix multiple 404s at once

Mark Ignored

Hide false positives

Delete Records

Clear old 404 data

Pattern-Based Fixes

Create regex redirects to fix multiple 404s with one rule:

Pattern detected: /old-blog/* generating 50+ 404s
Solution: Create regex redirect
Source: ^/old-blog/(.*)$
Target: /blog/$1
Result: All 50 404s fixed with one redirect

Common 404 Patterns

WordPress Specific

/wp-content/uploads/2023/* → Media files moved
/category/uncategorized/* → Default category removed
/?p=123 → Old permalink structure
/feed/ → RSS feed disabled
/trackback/ → Trackback disabled

Common File Types

favicon.ico → Missing favicon
robots.txt → Before virtual robots enabled
sitemap.xml → Before sitemap enabled
.map files → Source map files for JS/CSS
.well-known/* → Security/verification files

Bot Scanning

/admin/ → Security scanners
/wp-admin/install.php → Hack attempts
/.env → Looking for exposed credentials
/backup.sql → Database fishing
/old/ → Common backup directories

404 Prevention Tips

Proactive Measures

Before Publishing

  • ✓ Check all internal links
  • ✓ Verify image paths
  • ✓ Test downloadable files
  • ✓ Validate external links

Before Deleting

  • ✓ Check for incoming links
  • ✓ Set up redirect first
  • ✓ Update internal links
  • ✓ Notify external linkers

Regular Maintenance

  • ✓ Weekly 404 review
  • ✓ Monthly link audit
  • ✓ Check Search Console
  • ✓ Monitor high-traffic pages

Auto-Prevention (Pro+)

  • ✓ Auto-redirect on URL change
  • ✓ Deletion protection
  • ✓ Link change detection
  • ✓ Permalink monitoring

Settings & Configuration

Data Retention

  • • Auto-delete 404s older than 90 days (configurable)
  • • Keep high-hit 404s indefinitely
  • • Archive fixed 404s for 30 days
  • • Export data before deletion

Monitoring Options

  • • Email alerts for new 404s (daily/weekly)
  • • Threshold alerts (X hits on single URL)
  • • Ignore patterns (e.g., .map files)
  • • Bot filtering options

Important Considerations

Performance Impact: Logging every 404 can impact database size. Configure retention settings and use ignore patterns for known false positives.

Security Scans: Many 404s come from security scanners looking for vulnerabilities. These are normal and can be safely ignored.

SEO Benefit: Fixing 404s improves user experience and helps maintain link equity, leading to better search rankings.

Related Documentation

Managing Redirects

Learn how to create and manage redirects

Troubleshooting

Fix common redirect and 404 issues