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Glossary

Soft 404

A URL that returns 200 OK but shows “not found” or empty content.

Definition

Soft 404s waste crawl attention and confuse AI systems. Return real 404s for missing pages and real content for live ones.

In practice

  • Use precise language on public pages so assistants and crawlers share the same meaning
  • Pair definitions with crawlable HTML, metadata, and intentional robots policy
  • Measure outcomes (mentions, citations, pillar scores) after you change signals

See also

Next step

Browse the glossary index, read what is AI visibility?, or measure your site.

Related

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FAQ

What is Soft 404?

A URL that returns 200 OK but shows “not found” or empty content.

Why does Soft 404 matter for AI visibility?

Soft 404s waste crawl attention and confuse AI systems. Return real 404s for missing pages and real content for live ones.

How can BatSignal help?

BatSignal measures crawl access, content readiness, ChatGPT presence, and related signals so teams can improve AI visibility with evidence—not guesswork.