HTTP status codes are the three-digit responses a server gives when a browser or search engine bot requests a page. The first digit shows the type of response: 1xx informational, 2xx success, 3xx redirection, 4xx client error, 5xx server error. For SEO, the most important codes are 200 (success), 301 (permanent redirect), 302 (temporary redirect), 404 (not found), 410 (permanently removed) and 5xx server errors, because Google uses these codes to decide whether to index a page and where to pass its ranking value.
In this article we explain the status code classes, the most common codes and how to use them correctly for SEO on e-commerce sites.
Status code classes
Class | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
1xx | Informational: request received, processing continues | 100 Continue |
2xx | Success: request completed successfully | 200 OK |
3xx | Redirection: the resource is at another address | 301, 302, 304 |
4xx | Client error: the request is faulty or the resource doesn't exist | 403, 404, 410, 429 |
5xx | Server error: the server couldn't fulfil the request | 500, 502, 503 |
The most common status codes
200 OK: the page loaded successfully. All pages you want indexed should return 200.
301 Moved Permanently: the page has moved permanently to a new address. Ranking signals are passed to the new address.
302 Found: a temporary redirect. Google may not permanently index the new address.
304 Not Modified: the page hasn't changed since the last visit; the browser or bot can use the cached version.
403 Forbidden: access is forbidden. Accidentally blocking bots stops indexing.
404 Not Found: the page wasn't found. Deleted products and wrong links return this code.
410 Gone: the page has been removed permanently. It tells Google more clearly than 404 that the page won't come back.
429 Too Many Requests: too many requests were sent in a short time; the server is limiting requests.
500 Internal Server Error: an unexpected error occurred on the server.
503 Service Unavailable: the server is temporarily unavailable; the right code during maintenance.
Correct use for SEO
Use 301 for permanent changes
If a page's address has changed permanently, use a 301 redirect. 302 is only for genuinely temporary situations (such as a short-term campaign page). Using 302 by mistake can leave the old address in the index and stop ranking value passing to the new address.
Avoid redirect chains
Chains from page A to B and B to C slow users down and use up crawl budget. Redirect old addresses directly to the final address.
Handle deleted products correctly
If there's a replacement product or a related category, redirect to it with a 301.
If the product has been removed permanently and there's no suitable alternative, let it return 404 or 410.
Avoid redirecting all deleted products to the homepage; Google may treat these as "soft 404s".
Watch out for soft 404s
When a page with no content, or one saying "product not found", returns a 200 code, it's called a soft 404. Google doesn't see these pages as real content, and crawl budget is wasted. These pages are listed separately in Search Console's page indexing report.
Use 503 during maintenance
Returning a 503 code when you take the site down for planned maintenance tells Google the situation is temporary and helps protect rankings.
Status codes and redirects on Shopify
Shopify automatically returns 404 for deleted or missing pages.
When you change a product or page address (URL handle), tick Shopify's option to create an automatic redirect for the old address.
For bulk redirects, you can use Online Store → Navigation → URL redirects and import them in bulk with a CSV file. URL redirects on Shopify work as 301s.
When moving to Shopify from another platform, redirecting old URLs is one of the most critical steps. We cover this in our article on setup mistakes.
How do you check status codes?
Search Console: the page indexing report lists 404s, soft 404s, redirects and server errors. The URL Inspection tool shows a single page's status. Details in our Search Console setup guide.
Browser developer tools: you can see each request's status code in the Network tab.
Crawling tools: tools such as Screaming Frog crawl the entire site and report broken links and redirect chains.
Frequently asked questions
Do 404 errors lower my rankings?
Deleted pages returning 404 is normal and doesn't lower the site's overall rankings on its own. The problem is important pages returning 404 by mistake, or internal links pointing to broken pages.
What's the difference between 301 and 302?
301 is a permanent redirect, 302 a temporary one. Permanent address changes should use 301 so that ranking signals are passed to the new address.
Should I use 404 or 410?
Both indicate the page doesn't exist. 410 states more clearly that the page has been removed permanently and may help Google drop it from the index slightly faster. In practice, both codes are acceptable.
Let's check your technical SEO together
Wrong status codes and redirects can cause serious traffic losses, especially during site migrations. If you'd like to review your site's technical SEO together, get in touch through our SEO and GEO consulting page.
