Does Google really differentiate between 404 and 410 statuses in the long run?

What is the technical difference between a 404 and a 410?

A 404 (Not Found) code signals that a resource is not found, without specifying whether this is temporary or permanent. It remains the default code for any deleted or non-existent page. A 410 (Gone), on the other hand, explicitly indicates that the resource has permanently disappeared and will not return.

In theory, Google should remove a URL returning a 410 from its index more quickly. The 410 is meant to be a strong signal: "no need to crawl this page again, it no longer exists." The 404, however, leaves ambiguity—maybe the page will return, maybe it's a temporary error.

Why does Google treat these two codes similarly in the long run?

Google's algorithm will eventually deindex both types of pages if the codes persist. The crawl rate and verification frequency depend on the page's authority, its link history, and how often the site is updated. A 404 page that remains 404 for weeks will be treated as permanently gone.

This behavior is explained by the fact that very few sites correctly use the 410. Most return a 404 for everything—including permanent removals. Google has adapted to this practice and cannot afford to keep thousands of 404s indexed indefinitely.

Is 404 really used for temporarily removed content?

It is rarely the case in practice. When content is temporarily unavailable, sites should technically return a 503 (Service Unavailable) with a Retry-After header. But again, this best practice is often ignored.

The 404 is practically used for everything: typos in the URL, pages intentionally deleted, old products permanently out of stock, URLs that never existed. Google cannot guess the intent behind every 404, so it eventually treats them all the same way if the code persists.

• 404 and 410 are deindexed similarly in the long run by Google
• The 410 can slightly expedite index removal, but the difference remains minimal
• 404 remains the default choice for 99% of page removals, even permanent ones
• A 503 with Retry-After is the correct code for temporary removal—but it's rarely used
• Google relies on the persistence of the code rather than its exact value to decide on deindexing

Does this statement align with field observations?

Yes, and it is confirmed by years of SEO practice. Sites that massively switch from 404 to 410 on old pages see no significant acceleration in deindexing. The difference, if it exists, translates to just a few days on pages that are already crawled infrequently.

Tests show that Google recrawls 404s several times before permanently removing them—even the same behavior observed on 410s. The real determining factor is the authority of the page and the volume of incoming links: a page with many backlinks will take longer to leave the index, regardless of the code.

Should we still prefer the 410 in some cases?

There are a few situations where the 410 retains interest. On sites with a high volume of obsolete pages—marketplaces, news sites, seasonal catalogs—explicitly indicating permanent removal can help Google prioritize its crawl budget elsewhere.

The 410 is also useful for document clarity: it helps technical teams distinguish in logs between true errors (unexpected 404s) and voluntary deletions. But beware: [To be verified] the actual impact on Googlebot's behavior remains difficult to measure, as Google does not provide precise metrics on the processing speed of 410s vs 404s.

What traps should be avoided with these codes?

The worst-case scenario is to block 404 or 410 in robots.txt. Googlebot then cannot check the page status, and it remains stuck in the index with outdated snippets. The same goes if you redirect all your 404s to the homepage: Google detects a soft 404 and treats it as an error.

Another common mistake is returning a 404 on a page that still receives active backlinks, without implementing a 301 redirect to equivalent content. You lose link juice and create a poor user experience. If the page holds residual SEO value, it's better to redirect than to leave a 404.

What should you actually do when removing a page?

For a page with no traffic or backlinks, a simple 404 is sufficient. Let Google crawl the code; it will eventually remove the page from the index within a few weeks. There’s no need to complicate things with a 410 in this case.

If the page received SEO traffic or backlinks, first ask yourself: is there equivalent or similar content on the site? If so, implement a 301 redirect to that page. You preserve link juice, limit 404 errors in Search Console, and provide an alternative for users.

How to manage old URLs that still generate clicks?

Check in Search Console for 404 pages that still receive impressions in search results. This often happens: Google has not yet removed the page from its index, and it continues to appear in SERPs for a few weeks.

In this case, either recreate the page temporarily with minimal content and a canonical link to an active page, or expedite deindexing by requesting removal via the dedicated tool in Search Console. This removal is temporary (6 months) but immediately removes the page from results.

Should you actively monitor 404 errors in Search Console?

Yes, but without panicking. A live site naturally generates 404s—out-of-stock products, deleted articles, mistyped URLs. What matters is to detect abnormal patterns: a sudden spike in 404s can indicate a failed migration, a URL structure change not accompanied by redirects, or a problem with internal linking.

Focus on the 404s coming from internal links: these are the ones that truly impact crawling and user experience. External 404s (broken backlinks) are less urgent—you can contact source sites to update the links, but this is time-consuming and often ineffective.

• Return a clean 404 for any deleted page without an equivalent—no systematic redirection to the homepage
• Use a 301 redirect if the page had SEO traffic or backlinks and equivalent content exists
• Never block 404/410 codes in robots.txt—allow Google to crawl to observe the removal
• Monitor internal 404s in Search Console and correct linking accordingly
• Use 410 only if you're managing a very high volume of obsolete pages and wish to document permanent deletions
• Ensure your custom 404 page properly returns a HTTP 404 code and not a 200 (soft 404)