A referenced page answers with an error
In the reportReferenced page HTTP error
page_http_4xx · Issue
This appears when a page read during the audit returns 404 or 410 and an internal link, a structured-data breadcrumb item or a sitemap entry points to its final address. A 401 or 403 is reported for review with low confidence because crawler access can differ. Restore the intended page or update the references.
Severity: Medium. Fix broken addresses in your next round of site changes; for a 401 or 403, first confirm whether visitors and search engines should reach the page.
Why it matters
Google does not index addresses that answer with a 4xx error and removes ones already indexed; it treats every 4xx except 429 the same way, including 401 and 403. Links and sitemap entries that lead to errors also send visitors to dead ends.
What to do
- Review the status, reference types and referring pages in the finding. It distinguishes ordinary links, structured-data breadcrumbs and sitemap entries.
- Restore the intended page or update the links, breadcrumb items and sitemap entries that point to it.
- Run another audit. It must read the same original address, still ending at the same final address, and receive an error-free response below 400 to confirm a fix.
When to leave it as it is: if a page answering 401 or 403 is meant to be private, such as an account area, and your visitors reach it as intended, take it out of the sitemap and public links rather than open it up.
What we read
We use internal links and usable structured-data breadcrumb items from the captured page chosen for each final address, together with known sitemap entries. Redirect aliases do not add another copy of the page’s links or markup. This check makes no additional requests.
Within the pages included in the crawl, we assess one page for each final address. A 404 or 410 is an issue; a 401 or 403 needs review. A 429 or another unclassified 4xx leaves the result unknown. If complete link, breadcrumb and sitemap data confirms that nothing references the page, this check does not apply; unavailable data cannot establish that absence.
A 404 or 410 is reported under the sitemap status check only when that check is included in the audit, the exact final address is listed, and the captured response chosen for that exact requested address shows 404 or 410. A listed address that redirects to a different broken address is assessed under its own listed address; it does not suppress a separate finding about the destination.
Example & evidence
Illustrative example — one address and the places that point to it, not a live audit.
The homepage links to this address, which does not appear in the complete sitemap captured by the audit:
<a href="/cakes/lemon-tart">Lemon tart</a>GET https://bakery.example/cakes/lemon-tart
HTTP/1.1 404 Not FoundThe final 404 produces one finding about the referenced page, showing the homepage as a referring page. It would be reported under the sitemap status check only if that check were included, the exact address were listed, and the response chosen for a request to that address showed 404 or 410.
An error-free response below 400 for the same original address and the same final address confirms the fix. Removing the link or changing the final address alone does not.
Confirm & check again
Check for yourself: open the address in a browser and in a private window; for a 401 or 403, compare what a signed-out visitor sees.
Check again: Full audit — Run another audit. A fix requires an error-free response below 400 for the same original address, still ending at the same final address. An unreadable response, leaving the page out of the audit, reporting it under the sitemap check or removing its references does not confirm a fix. A different final address does not close the earlier finding. Dismissing a finding remains a separate choice.
Limits & sources
We check only pages included in the crawl, using the captured page chosen for each final address. A link or breadcrumb target outside that page list is not assessed by this check. Missing or incomplete reference data is shown as a coverage limit, while a known reference can still support a finding.
The audit does not establish JavaScript behaviour, visitor access or whether Google has indexed the address. A 401 or 403 may be specific to the audit crawler.
Confidence: High for 404 and 410, read directly from the answer; a 401 or 403 is marked with low confidence, because access rules may treat our crawler differently.
Sources
- Google, How HTTP status codes affect Google's crawlers — says Google does not index addresses that answer 4xx, removes indexed ones, and treats every 4xx except 429 the same way. Checked 25 September 2026.
Editorial review: 4 November 2026