Submitted URL seems to be a soft 404: What it means and how to fix it (GSC)

This status means: you submitted the URL (usually via sitemap), Google fetched it, and decided the page behaves like a "not found" page.

Start with the map:

• GSC Indexing Statuses Explained (guide)

Related:

• Soft 404 in Google Search Console: what it means + fixes

Common causes

1) Missing content returns 200

A dynamic route has no data, but still returns a full template with an empty state.

Fix: return a real 404 (or 410 if intentionally gone).

2) Redirects to irrelevant destinations

If many old URLs redirect to a generic page, Google may treat it as a soft-404 pattern.

Fix legacy cleanups correctly:

• 301 vs 410: GSC Cleanup After a Site Pivot

3) Thin pages with no intent match

Pages that do not satisfy any query intent can get classified as soft 404 even if they return 200.

Fix: add real value (examples, steps, constraints) or do not publish.

Fix checklist

1. Confirm the URL returns the correct status for missing content (404/410).
2. Make sure the main content exists in the HTML (not only after JS).
3. Avoid redirect chains and irrelevant destinations.
4. Re-test in URL Inspection.

Validation

• URL Inspection: check screenshot + rendered HTML.
• Pages report: soft 404 counts should trend down (with delay).