What Is 410 Gone?
410 Gone is an HTTP status code that a server sends when a page has been removed for good. It tells browsers and search engines that this page is gone forever and they should not look for it again.
Definition
410 Gone means:
- The page used to exist at this URL.
- The owner deleted it on purpose.
- The page is not coming back.
- Search engines may remove it from their results faster than a normal 404 error.
Why 410 Gone Matters
Using 410 Gone correctly is important for both users and SEO.
- Clear message to users It shows the page was removed by choice, not by accident.
- Cleaner search results Search engines learn that this page should be dropped from their index.
- Better crawl budget Bots stop wasting time trying to recrawl a page that will never return.
- Helpful for site cleanups When you remove old products, posts or sections, 410 tells Google they are truly gone.
How 410 Gone Works
When someone visits a removed page, this is what happens:
- The browser asks the server for the URL.
- The server checks its rules or files and sees the page was deleted.
- Instead of returning the page, the server replies with the 410 Gone status code.
- The browser may show a simple error page or a custom message you set up.
- Search engine bots remember that this URL is permanently gone and visit it less or not at all.
410 Gone vs Related Status Codes
- 410 Gone vs 404 Not Found
404 means the server cannot find the page right now. It might be missing, moved or never existed. 410 clearly says the page was deleted on purpose and is not coming back. - 410 Gone vs 301 Moved Permanently
301 tells browsers and search engines that a page has a new permanent address and that all value should move to the new URL. 410 tells them there is no new address because the page is gone. - 410 Gone vs 302 Found
302 is used for temporary moves. 410 is for permanent removal.
Example of 410 Gone
Imagine an online store that stops selling a product forever. The owner decides not to replace it and not to redirect the page to anything else.
The server might respond like this:
HTTP/1.1 410 Gone
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
<html>
<head><title>410 Gone</title></head>
<body>
<h1>This page has been removed</h1>
<p>The product you are looking for is no longer available.</p>
</body>
</html>
Search engines will understand that this product page is deleted for good and can be removed from search results.
FAQs
When should I use 410 Gone?
Use 410 when you remove a page forever and there is no best replacement page to send users to.
Is 410 better than 404 for SEO?
410 can help search engines drop a URL from their index faster than a normal 404 because it clearly says the page is permanently removed. Both are errors, but 410 is more specific.
Should I use 410 or 301 for deleted pages?
If you have a good replacement page, use 301 so users and ranking signals move to the new URL. If there is no replacement and you want the page gone, use 410.
Can I show a custom page with 410 Gone?
Yes. You can send the 410 status code and still show a friendly message that explains what happened and offers links to other helpful pages.
What happens if I send 410 by mistake?
If you mark a live page as 410, search engines may quickly remove it from results. Fix the status code to 200 OK or 301 and request re indexing as soon as possible.
