How to Fix 'Submitted URL Not Found 404' in GSC
The 'Submitted URL not found (404)' error in Google Search Console (GSC) indicates that a URL listed in your sitemap returns an HTTP 404 status code upon Google's crawl attempt. This issue signals to Google that your sitemap contains non-existent pages, potentially wasting crawl budget and impacting site quality signals.
This error specifically means that Google tried to crawl a URL from your sitemap, but the server responded with a 404 'Not Found' status. Effective resolution requires either removing the invalid URL from your sitemap or rectifying the page's availability.
What does 'Submitted URL not found (404)' signify?
When GSC reports this error, it means your XML sitemap is directing Googlebot to resources that are no longer accessible. This can negatively affect your site's perceived reliability and efficiency in Google's indexing process. A sitemap should exclusively list live, indexable content to ensure optimal crawl budget utilization.
What are the common symptoms of this GSC error?
- Google Search Console explicitly displays 'Submitted URL not found (404)' errors in its reports.
- Your sitemap includes URLs for pages that have been deleted or moved without proper redirection.
- Google's crawl budget is inefficiently spent attempting to access dead URLs.
- The GSC coverage report shows a consistent or increasing number of 404 errors.
How can you quickly identify affected URLs?
A rapid assessment involves exporting the list of reported URLs directly from GSC. Subsequently, manually visiting each URL confirms whether it indeed returns a 404 status. This step also allows for verification if the content has been relocated to a new URL or if the problematic URLs are present in your sitemap file.
What are the primary causes of 'Submitted URL not found (404)'?
- Pages were intentionally removed or deleted from the website, but the sitemap was not subsequently updated to reflect these changes.
- The website's URL structure underwent modifications, yet the outdated URLs persist within the sitemap.
- Content Management Systems (CMS) may automatically generate sitemaps that inadvertently include non-existent or deprecated URLs.
What is the 5-minute checklist for resolving 404 errors in GSC?
- Export all URLs flagged with this error from your GSC account.
- Verify each URL individually to confirm it returns a 404 status.
- Determine the appropriate action for each URL: implement a 301 redirect, restore the page, or remove it from the sitemap.
- Update your sitemap to exclude all dead or invalid URLs.
- Configure 301 redirects for any content that has been permanently moved to a new location.
- Resubmit the revised sitemap in GSC to prompt Google to re-crawl your site with the updated information.
Lunara SEO provides advanced tools to streamline this process, ensuring your sitemap accurately reflects your site's live content and optimizing your crawl budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the impact of 404 errors on SEO?
While a few 404 errors are normal, a high volume of 'Submitted URL not found (404)' errors can waste crawl budget, signal poor site maintenance to Google, and potentially hinder the indexing of valid pages.
How often should I update my sitemap?
Your sitemap should be updated whenever significant changes occur on your website, such as adding, deleting, or moving pages. After making changes to resolve 404 errors, always regenerate and resubmit your sitemap in GSC.
Can 301 redirects fix 'Submitted URL not found (404)'?
Yes, if a page has been moved to a new URL, implementing a 301 permanent redirect from the old URL to the new one is crucial. This tells search engines and users that the page has permanently relocated, preserving SEO value and resolving the 404 for that specific URL.