How to Fix Website Errors

Website errors are among the most critical issues that can derail your digital presence. Whether you're running an e-commerce store, a corporate portal, or a content-driven blog, unresolved errors can damage user experience, reduce search engine rankings, and ultimately cost you traffic, conversions, and revenue. From 404 Not Found pages to server timeouts, broken links, or malformed structured data, each error carries consequences that compound over time. Fixing website errors isn't just about technical maintenanceit's about preserving trust, ensuring accessibility, and maximizing visibility across search engines and user devices.

This comprehensive guide walks you through the entire process of identifying, diagnosing, and resolving common and complex website errors. Youll learn a step-by-step methodology backed by industry best practices, explore essential tools used by professional SEOs and developers, examine real-world case studies, and answer frequently asked questions. By the end of this tutorial, youll have a clear, actionable framework to maintain a clean, error-free website that performs optimally for both users and search engines.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Audit Your Website for Errors

Before you can fix website errors, you must first identify them. A thorough audit is the foundation of any successful remediation strategy. Begin by crawling your entire site using a reliable SEO crawler tool. Tools like Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, or DeepCrawl can scan hundreds or even millions of pages in minutes, extracting data on HTTP status codes, broken links, redirect chains, duplicate content, and more.

Start with a full crawl of your domain, including both HTTP and HTTPS versions. Ensure you're crawling the live sitenot a staging environmentso you capture real-world conditions. Pay close attention to:

• HTTP status codes: 404 (Not Found), 500 (Internal Server Error), 503 (Service Unavailable), 301/302 redirects
• Broken internal and external links
• Pages with noindex tags unintentionally applied
• Missing or malformed meta titles and descriptions
• Large page load times or render-blocking resources

Export the crawl data into a spreadsheet for analysis. Sort by status code to prioritize critical errors. Focus first on 5xx server errors and 404s on high-traffic pagesthese directly impact user retention and SEO performance.

Step 2: Resolve Server-Side Errors (5xx)

Server-side errors indicate problems with your websites hosting infrastructure or backend code. The most common are 500 (Internal Server Error), 502 (Bad Gateway), 503 (Service Unavailable), and 504 (Gateway Timeout).

Begin by checking your server logstypically accessible through your hosting providers control panel or via SSH access. Look for patterns: Are errors occurring during peak traffic? Are they tied to specific scripts, plugins, or database queries?

Common causes and fixes include:

• PHP memory limits exceeded: Increase the memory_limit value in your php.ini file or via .htaccess (e.g., php_value memory_limit 256M).
• Plugin or theme conflicts: Disable all plugins and switch to a default theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four for WordPress). Reactivate them one by one to isolate the culprit.
• Database connection failures: Verify your database credentials in wp-config.php (for WordPress) or your applications configuration file. Optimize and repair your database using tools like phpMyAdmin or WP-Optimize.
• Server resource overload: Upgrade your hosting plan if youre on shared hosting. Consider moving to VPS or cloud hosting (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, or DigitalOcean) for better scalability.
• Firewall or security plugin misconfiguration: Some security tools (e.g., Wordfence, Cloudflare WAF) may block legitimate requests. Temporarily disable them to test if errors resolve.

After implementing fixes, monitor your server for 2448 hours. Use tools like UptimeRobot or Pingdom to track availability and receive alerts if errors reoccur.

Step 3: Fix Client-Side Errors (4xx)

Client-side errors, particularly 404 Not Found, are the most common website issues. A 404 occurs when a requested URL cannot be found on the server. This often happens after content is moved, deleted, or renamed without proper redirects.

To fix 404 errors:

1. Identify which URLs are returning 404s using your crawl report or Google Search Consoles Coverage report.
2. For pages that have been permanently removed: Set up a 301 redirect to the most relevant existing page. For example, if /product/old-widget was discontinued, redirect it to /product/new-widget or a category page.
3. For pages that were renamed: Redirect the old URL to the new one using your servers redirect mechanism. In Apache, use .htaccess; in Nginx, use the return 301 directive.
4. For URLs pointing to non-existent pages with no logical replacement: Create a custom 404 page that guides users back to your homepage or popular content using clear navigation and helpful messaging.

Never let a 404 page return a blank screen or a generic server message. A well-designed 404 page improves user experience and reduces bounce rates.

Also check for 403 (Forbidden) and 401 (Unauthorized) errors. These often stem from incorrect file permissions or authentication misconfigurations. Ensure your files have proper read permissions (typically 644 for files, 755 for folders) and that .htaccess rules arent blocking legitimate traffic.

Step 4: Correct Redirect Chains and Loops

Redirect chains occur when a URL redirects to another URL, which redirects again, and so on. Redirect loops happen when two or more URLs redirect to each other in a circular pattern. Both degrade performance and confuse search engines.

Use a redirect checker tool like Redirect Mapper or Screaming Frogs Redirect Chains report to detect these issues. A healthy redirect path should be a single hop: Old URL ? 301 ? New URL.

Common causes:

• Multiple plugins or server rules applying redirects independently
• Changing domain names without cleaning up old redirect rules
• HTTPS enforcement rules conflicting with CMS-level redirects

To fix:

• Consolidate all redirect rules into one location (e.g., server config or a single plugin).
• Remove redundant or outdated redirects.
• Test each redirect path manually in an incognito browser window.
• Use tools like curl or Postman to trace the full redirect chain: curl -I https://yoursite.com/old-page

Google recommends avoiding more than one redirect hop. Each additional redirect adds latency and can cause crawlers to abandon the path.

Step 5: Optimize Page Load Speed and Render-Blocking Resources

Slow-loading pages contribute to high bounce rates and poor SEO rankings. Googles Core Web VitalsLargest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)are now ranking factors. Errors here arent always broken, but they can be functionally harmful.

Use Google PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest to analyze your page performance. Look for:

• Large, unoptimized images (use WebP format and compress with TinyPNG or Squoosh)
• Render-blocking JavaScript and CSS
• Uncompressed text resources (enable Gzip or Brotli compression)
• Excessive third-party scripts (analytics, ads, chat widgets)
• Missing browser caching headers

Implementation fixes:

• Defer non-critical JavaScript with defer or async attributes.
• Inline critical CSS and load non-critical CSS asynchronously.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare or BunnyCDN to serve static assets closer to users.
• Set long-term cache headers for static resources (e.g., Cache-Control: max-age=31536000).
• Lazy-load images and iframes using the loading="lazy" attribute.

Test changes using Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools. Aim for scores above 90 on both mobile and desktop.

Step 6: Validate Structured Data and Schema Markup

Structured data helps search engines understand your content and display rich results (e.g., breadcrumbs, reviews, FAQs, product prices). Invalid schema can cause rich results to disappear from SERPs.

Use Googles Rich Results Test tool to scan your pages. Common errors include:

• Missing required properties (e.g., name or price in Product schema)
• Incorrect data types (e.g., using text instead of number for ratingValue)
• Schema applied to non-existent or hidden content
• Multiple conflicting schema types on one page

Fixes:

• Use JSON-LD formatits preferred by Google and easier to maintain.
• Validate your schema using Schema.orgs documentation and tools like Merkles Schema Markup Generator.
• Ensure schema accurately reflects visible page content. Dont markup hidden or misleading information.
• Remove deprecated or obsolete schema types (e.g., aggregateRating without reviewCount).

After fixing, resubmit the affected URLs in Google Search Console to trigger re-crawling and revalidation.

Step 7: Check Mobile Usability and Responsive Design

Over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site fails to render properly on smartphones or tablets, youre losing usersand search engine rankings.

Use Googles Mobile-Friendly Test tool to analyze individual pages. Common mobile errors include:

• Text too small to read
• Clickable elements too close together
• Content wider than the screen
• Use of Flash (now obsolete)
• Viewport not set or incorrectly configured

Fixes:

• Ensure your <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> tag is present in the <head>.
• Use relative units (em, rem, %) instead of fixed pixels for layout elements.
• Test your site on multiple devices using Chrome DevTools device emulation.
• Ensure touch targets (buttons, links) are at least 48x48 pixels.
• Avoid horizontal scrolling by setting max-width: 100% on images and containers.

Responsive design isnt optionalits essential. If your site doesnt adapt gracefully, Google may demote it in mobile search results.

Step 8: Secure Your Website with HTTPS and SSL

HTTP sites are marked as Not Secure by modern browsers. Google has prioritized HTTPS for years, and sites without SSL certificates may be penalized in rankings.

Check for mixed content errorswhen a page loads over HTTPS but includes resources (images, scripts, stylesheets) over HTTP. These trigger browser warnings and degrade trust.

Use the Chrome DevTools Security tab or Why No Padlock? to detect insecure resources.

Fixes:

• Obtain a free SSL certificate from Lets Encrypt via your hosting provider.
• Force HTTPS site-wide using server-level redirects (301 from HTTP to HTTPS).
• Update all internal links, images, and resources to use relative URLs (//example.com) or absolute HTTPS URLs.
• Update your sitemap and robots.txt to reflect HTTPS URLs.
• Re-submit your HTTPS property in Google Search Console.

After migration, monitor for crawl errors and ensure your canonical tags point to HTTPS versions.

Step 9: Review Robots.txt and Meta Robots Tags

Incorrect use of robots.txt or meta robots tags can accidentally block search engines from indexing valuable content.

Common mistakes:

• Blocking CSS/JS files in robots.txt, preventing proper rendering
• Using noindex on pages meant to rank
• Disallowing entire directories without understanding the impact

Use Google Search Consoles Robots.txt Tester to validate your file. Ensure:

• Only non-essential files (e.g., admin panels, temporary folders) are blocked.
• Important pages are not disallowed.
• Youre not using Disallow: / unless intentionally blocking everything.

For individual pages, check the HTML source for <meta name="robots" content="noindex">. Remove this tag if you want the page indexed. Use noindex only for duplicate, thin, or internal pages (e.g., thank-you pages, search results).

Step 10: Monitor and Maintain Continuously

Fixing errors is not a one-time task. Websites evolvecontent is updated, plugins are upgraded, servers are migrated. Without ongoing monitoring, new errors will emerge.

Set up automated alerts:

• Google Search Console: Enable email notifications for coverage issues, mobile usability, and security problems.
• Uptime monitoring: Use tools like StatusCake or Pingdom to alert you when your site goes down.
• Broken link checkers: Schedule weekly scans with Dead Link Checker or Ahrefs.
• Performance monitoring: Use Lighthouse CI or Calibre to track Core Web Vitals over time.

Create a monthly maintenance checklist that includes:

• Reviewing crawl reports
• Checking for new 404s
• Validating schema markup
• Updating plugins and themes
• Testing mobile responsiveness

Consistent maintenance prevents small errors from becoming major problems.

Best Practices

Prevention is always more efficient than repair. Adopting industry best practices ensures your website remains error-free and high-performing over time.

Use a Consistent URL Structure

Choose a URL format early and stick to it. Avoid dynamic parameters (e.g., /product?id=123) unless necessary. Prefer clean, readable URLs like /products/blue-widget. Use hyphens to separate words, not underscores. Never change URLs without setting up 301 redirects.

Implement Canonical Tags Correctly

Use the <link rel="canonical" href="..."> tag to indicate the preferred version of duplicate or similar content. This prevents search engines from splitting ranking signals. Ensure canonical URLs are absolute, not relative, and point to live, indexable pages.

Regularly Update Your CMS and Plugins

Outdated software is a leading cause of security vulnerabilities and compatibility errors. Enable automatic updates where possible, or establish a biweekly update schedule. Always test updates on a staging site before deploying to production.

Backup Your Site Weekly

Before making major changes (e.g., theme updates, plugin installations, server migrations), create a full backup of your files and database. Use tools like UpdraftPlus (WordPress), Duplicator, or your hosting providers backup system. Store backups offsitein the cloud or on an external drive.

Document Your Changes

Keep a log of all technical changes: what was fixed, when, and why. This helps with troubleshooting later and ensures team members understand the sites architecture. Use a simple spreadsheet or a tool like Notion or Confluence.

Test Across Browsers and Devices

Dont rely solely on Chrome. Test your site on Safari, Firefox, Edge, and mobile browsers. Use BrowserStack or LambdaTest for cross-browser testing without owning multiple devices.

Optimize for Accessibility

Website errors arent just technicaltheyre also user experience issues. Ensure your site meets WCAG 2.1 standards: proper contrast ratios, alt text for images, semantic HTML, keyboard navigation, and ARIA labels. Tools like Axe or WAVE can audit accessibility compliance.

Monitor Core Web Vitals Monthly

Googles performance metrics are not static. As your content grows, so do your performance challenges. Track LCP, FID, and CLS monthly. Set internal targets (e.g., LCP under 2.5s) and assign ownership for improvements.

Dont Ignore XML Sitemaps

An up-to-date XML sitemap helps search engines discover and index your content efficiently. Submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Include only indexable pages. Exclude paginated content, search results, and duplicate URLs. Update the sitemap automatically when new content is published.

Use Version Control for Code Changes

If youre editing HTML, CSS, or JavaScript directly, use Git for version control. Platforms like GitHub or GitLab let you track changes, roll back errors, and collaborate safely. Never edit live files without a backup or version history.

Tools and Resources

Effective error resolution relies on the right tools. Below is a curated list of essential resources for diagnosing and fixing website errors.

Crawling and Auditing Tools

• Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Free version crawls up to 500 URLs; paid version handles large sites. Excellent for finding broken links, redirects, and meta issues.
• Sitebulb: User-friendly interface with visual site architecture maps. Great for non-technical users.
• DeepCrawl: Enterprise-grade crawler for large-scale sites with advanced filtering and reporting.
• Botify: AI-powered crawler with performance and indexing insights. Used by Fortune 500 companies.

Performance and Core Web Vitals

• Google PageSpeed Insights: Free tool that analyzes speed and provides actionable recommendations.
• WebPageTest: Advanced testing with multiple locations, devices, and connection speeds. Shows filmstrip view of page load.
• Lighthouse: Open-source tool built into Chrome DevTools. Generates detailed performance, accessibility, and SEO reports.
• Calibre: Continuous performance monitoring with trend tracking and alerts.

Structured Data and Schema Validation

• Google Rich Results Test: Validates structured data and previews how rich results will appear in search.
• Schema.org: Official documentation for all schema types.
• Merkls Schema Markup Generator: Free tool to generate JSON-LD schema with dropdowns.
• Structured Data Linter: Validates JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa.

Redirect and Link Analysis

• Redirect Mapper: Visualizes redirect chains and loops.
• Ahrefs Site Audit: Tracks broken links, redirects, and crawl errors over time.
• Broken Link Checker (WordPress plugin): Scans internal links automatically.
• Check My Links (Chrome extension): Highlights broken links on any page instantly.

Monitoring and Alerts

• Google Search Console: Free and essential. Reports on indexing, mobile usability, security, and performance.
• Bing Webmaster Tools: Often overlooked, but critical for reaching Microsofts search audience.
• UptimeRobot: Monitors uptime and sends alerts via email or SMS when downtime occurs.
• Statmuse: Tracks keyword rankings and technical SEO health over time.

Security and SSL

• Why No Padlock?: Identifies mixed content and SSL issues.
• SSL Labs (Qualys): Tests your SSL/TLS configuration and gives a security grade.
• Lets Encrypt: Free, automated SSL certificate provider.
• Cloudflare: Offers free SSL, CDN, and DDoS protection.

Accessibility

• WAVE (WebAIM): Browser extension and online tool for accessibility auditing.
• Axe DevTools: Chrome extension that integrates with DevTools for real-time accessibility feedback.
• Color Contrast Analyzer: Ensures text meets WCAG contrast standards.

Learning Resources

• Google Search Central Documentation: Official guides on indexing, structured data, and Core Web Vitals.
• Moz Beginners Guide to SEO: Comprehensive overview of SEO fundamentals.
• Search Engine Journal: Regular updates on algorithm changes and technical SEO trends.
• Web.dev: Googles resource for modern web performance and accessibility.

Real Examples

Example 1: E-commerce Site with 12,000 404 Errors

A mid-sized online retailer noticed a 40% drop in organic traffic over three months. A Screaming Frog crawl revealed over 12,000 404 errorsmostly from product pages that had been deleted during a platform migration.

Instead of redirecting each URL manually, the team used a data-driven approach:

• Exported all 404 URLs from Google Search Console.
• Matched them against the old product database using SKU and category data.
• Created a bulk redirect map in CSV format.
• Used a server-side script to auto-redirect based on category patterns (e.g., /old-category/product-id ? /new-category/product-slug).
• Created a custom 404 page with a search bar and Popular Products section for unmatched URLs.

Within six weeks, 404 errors dropped by 95%, organic traffic recovered, and conversion rates improved by 18%.

Example 2: Blog with Slow Load Times and Poor Mobile Performance

A lifestyle blog was ranking well but had a mobile page speed score of 32/100. PageSpeed Insights flagged render-blocking JavaScript, unoptimized images, and missing browser caching.

The fixes implemented:

• Compressed 200+ images using WebP format and lazy loading.
• Deferred non-critical JavaScript (analytics, social widgets).
• Enabled Brotli compression on the server.
• Added cache headers for CSS, JS, and images.
• Removed two heavy plugins that werent essential.

Mobile load time dropped from 7.8 seconds to 1.9 seconds. Core Web Vitals scores improved from Poor to Good. Organic traffic increased by 35% in two months.

Example 3: Schema Markup Causing Rich Results to Disappear

A local service business noticed their star ratings and FAQs were no longer appearing in search results. The Rich Results Test tool showed a Missing required property error on the FAQ schema.

Investigation revealed that a plugin had auto-generated schema with empty acceptedAnswer fields for some questions. The team:

• Manually reviewed all FAQ pages.
• Replaced the plugin with custom JSON-LD markup using Googles template.
• Ensured every question had a complete, text-based answer.
• Removed duplicate schema from the header.

Within two weeks, rich results returned. Click-through rate from search increased by 22%.

Example 4: HTTPS Migration Causing Indexing Issues

A company migrated from HTTP to HTTPS but forgot to update internal links and canonical tags. Google Search Console showed thousands of Crawled currently not indexed errors.

Resolution steps:

• Updated all internal links to use HTTPS.
• Set 301 redirects from all HTTP URLs to their HTTPS equivalents.
• Updated the sitemap to reflect HTTPS URLs only.
• Submitted the HTTPS property in Search Console and requested re-indexing.
• Removed the HTTP property after confirming no traffic or indexing remained.

Indexation normalized within 30 days. Organic traffic stabilized and eventually surpassed pre-migration levels.

FAQs

What is the most common website error?

The most common website error is the 404 Not Found error. It typically occurs when a page has been moved or deleted without a proper redirect. While not always critical, a high volume of 404sespecially on popular pagescan harm user experience and SEO.

How do I know if my website has errors?

Use Google Search Console to view coverage issues, mobile usability problems, and security alerts. Supplement this with a site crawl using Screaming Frog or similar tools. Monitor for sudden drops in traffic, increased bounce rates, or browser warnings (e.g., Not Secure).

Can website errors affect my SEO ranking?

Yes. Server errors (5xx), broken links, slow load times, and mobile usability issues are all direct ranking factors. Google prioritizes sites that offer a fast, reliable, and accessible experience. Unresolved errors signal poor site quality and can lead to lower rankings or de-indexing.

How often should I check for website errors?

Perform a full technical audit every 36 months. Monitor Google Search Console daily for critical alerts. Run broken link checks weekly if your site updates frequently. Set up automated monitoring for uptime and performance.

Do I need a developer to fix website errors?

Many errors (e.g., 404 redirects, image optimization, meta tags) can be fixed without coding knowledge using plugins or CMS interfaces. However, server-side errors (5xx), SSL configuration, and complex redirect logic often require developer expertise. Know your limits and seek help when needed.

What should I do if my site is down?

First, confirm its not just your connection by testing the site on a different device or network. Use a tool like DownDetector or IsItDownRightNow to see if others are affected. Check your hosting providers status page. If the issue persists, contact your hosts technical support or review server logs for errors.

Are all redirects bad?

No. 301 (permanent) redirects are essential for preserving SEO value when moving content. The problem lies in redirect chains (multiple hops) or loops (A?B?A). Keep redirects as direct as possible.

Whats the difference between a 404 and a 410 error?

A 404 means the server couldnt find the requested pageit might be temporary. A 410 (Gone) means the page was intentionally removed and will not return. Use 410 when youre certain content is permanently gone. Search engines treat 410 as a stronger signal to remove the page from their index.

Should I fix errors on low-traffic pages?

Yes. Even low-traffic pages can contribute to crawl budget waste. Search engines have limited time to crawl your site. Fixing errors on low-traffic pages ensures crawlers focus on your most important content.

How long does it take for Google to recognize fixes?

It varies. Simple fixes like 301 redirects or meta tag changes can be re-crawled within hours to days. Complex issues like server errors or schema validation may take 14 weeks. Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to request indexing after fixes.

Conclusion

Fixing website errors is not a one-time taskits an ongoing discipline essential to maintaining a healthy, high-performing digital presence. From server outages to broken links, malformed schema to slow load times, every error carries consequences that ripple across user experience, search visibility, and business outcomes.

This guide has provided you with a comprehensive, step-by-step framework to identify, diagnose, and resolve the most common and damaging website errors. Youve learned how to audit your site, prioritize critical issues, implement best practices, leverage industry-leading tools, and learn from real-world case studies.

Remember: The goal isnt perfectionits progress. Even small improvements in site health compound over time. A single 301 redirect can recover lost traffic. A single image optimization can boost page speed. A single schema fix can unlock rich results.

Start today. Run a crawl. Check your Search Console. Fix one error. Then another. Build a routine. Document your changes. Monitor continuously.

Your website is a living asset. Treat it with care, and it will reward you with sustained traffic, higher conversions, and long-term growth.