Google HTTP status codes guide
Google HTTP status codes guide,
as documented
What Google does with 2xx, 3xx, 4xx and 5xx responses when it crawls a page, in Google's own words. Verified from Google's pages on 2026-10-07.
Google says HTTP status codes are generated by the server hosting the site when it responds to a request made by a client, for example a browser or a crawler. This page lists how Google documents its handling of the most common codes, with the wording taken from its page.
What Google documents
| Topic | What Google says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What a status code is | “HTTP status codes are generated by the server that's hosting the site when it responds to a request made by a client, for example a browser or a crawler.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Search Console messages | “Search Console generates error messages for status codes in the 4xx—5xx range, and for failed redirections ( 3xx ).” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 2xx is not a guarantee | “For Google Search, an HTTP 2xx (success) status code doesn't guarantee indexing.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Soft 404 | “If the content suggests an error for Google Search, an empty page or an error message, Search Console will show a soft 404 error .” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 200 | “The indexing systems may index the content, but that's not guaranteed.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 204 | “Google wasn't able to receive any content and therefore can't process it.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Redirect hops | “By default, Google's crawlers follow up to 10 redirect hops.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Content on a redirecting URL | “Any content Google receives from the redirecting URL is ignored, and the final target URL's content is processed instead.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 301 | “Google follows the redirect, and Google systems use the redirect as a strong signal that the redirect target should be processed.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 302 | “By default, Google's crawlers follow the redirect, and Google systems use the redirect as a weak signal that the redirect target should be processed.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 304 | “Google crawlers signal the next processing system that the content is the same as last time it was crawled.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 307 and 308 | “Equivalent to 302 .”Google: 307 is equivalent to 302 and 308 is equivalent to 301, and while it treats them the same way they are semantically different, so use the status code appropriate for the redirect. | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 4xx content | “Google doesn't use the content from URLs that return 4xx status codes.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 4xx and the index | “In the case of Google Search, Google doesn't index URLs that return a 4xx status code, and URLs that are already indexed and return a 4xx status code are removed from the index.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| All 4xx alike | “All 4xx errors, except 429 , are treated the same: Google crawlers inform the next processing system that the content doesn't exist.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Crawl frequency for 404s | “The crawling frequency gradually decreases.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 401 and 403 | “Don't use 401 and 403 status codes for limiting the crawl rate.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 429 | “Google's crawlers treat the 429 status code as a signal that the server is overloaded, and it's considered a server error.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 5xx and 429 | “5xx and 429 server errors prompt Google's crawlers to temporarily slow down with crawling.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| 5xx and indexed URLs | “For Google Search, already indexed URLs are preserved in the index, but eventually dropped.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Recovery | “Once the server starts responding with a 2xx status code, Google gradually increases the crawl rate for the site.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Persistent server errors | “For Google Search, Google's indexing pipeline removes from the index URLs that persistently return a server error.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
Rules to remember
- Google says a 2xx response doesn't guarantee indexing, and an error page served with a 2xx can show up as a soft 404.
- Google says a 301 is a strong signal and a 302 a weak signal that the redirect target should be processed.
- Google says URLs returning a 4xx are not indexed and are removed from the index if already there, and that 5xx and 429 make its crawlers slow down.
Questions
Does a 200 status code guarantee my page is indexed?
No. Google says an HTTP 2xx status code doesn't guarantee indexing: the indexing systems may index the content, but that's not guaranteed. If the content suggests an error, such as an empty page or an error message, Search Console will show a soft 404.
Does Google treat 404 and 410 differently?
Google says all 4xx errors except 429 are treated the same: it informs the next processing system that the content doesn't exist, and URLs already indexed that return a 4xx are removed from the index. Newly encountered 404 pages aren't processed and the crawling frequency gradually decreases.
How strong is a 301 compared with a 302?
Google says it uses a 301 as a strong signal that the redirect target should be processed, and a 302 as a weak signal. It treats 307 as equivalent to 302 and 308 as equivalent to 301.
How many redirects will Google follow?
By default, up to 10 redirect hops for general web content, according to Google, and it ignores any content received from the redirecting URL and processes the final target instead. Google's Inspection Tools doesn't follow redirects.
What does Google do with a 503 or 500?
Google says 5xx and 429 responses prompt its crawlers to temporarily slow down. Already indexed URLs are preserved but eventually dropped, and URLs that persistently return a server error are removed from the index. Once the server answers with a 2xx, the crawl rate gradually increases.
Can I use 403 or 401 to slow Googlebot down?
No. Google says not to use 401 and 403 status codes for limiting the crawl rate, because 4xx status codes except 429 have no effect on crawl rate.
How current is this page?
Every row was read from Google's page on 2026-10-07, which showed "Last updated 2026-02-04 UTC". Google can change its documentation, so treat the linked page as the final word.
Sources
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