The Page not found analytics page in Document360 displays all URLs within your knowledge base domain that returned a 404 error, along with details about who accessed them and when. Use it to identify broken or deleted URLs and set up redirect rules to fix them before they affect your readers or your search engine rankings.
Why use Page not found analytics
- Use it to spot URLs that readers or search engine bots are hitting but that no longer exist, so you can set up redirects promptly.
- Use it to distinguish between reader-facing 404 errors (Browser) and bot-generated ones, so you can prioritize fixes by impact.
- Use it after a content restructure or article deletion to confirm that redirect rules are working as expected.
Access Page not found analytics
In the knowledge base portal, navigate to Analytics () in the left navigation bar, then click Page not found in the left navigation pane.
The Page not found analytics page opens, showing data for the last 7 days by default.
Apply filters
- Click the Date filter dropdown and select a predefined range (such as This month or Last month), or choose Custom to specify a date range.
- Click the All user agents dropdown and select a user agent type to filter the data.
The page refreshes when the Date filter is applied. Always apply the Date filter first, then the All user agents filter. Analytics data is available from July 7, 2023 onwards when using a custom date range.
Understanding Page not found metrics
The overview page shows four metric tiles:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total pages | Total number of URLs that returned a 404 error in the selected period. |
| Browser | URLs accessed through a browser that returned a 404 error. |
| Unknown | URLs returning a 404 error from an unidentified user agent type (not Browser or Bot). |
| Bot | URLs returning a 404 error when accessed by bots such as search engine crawlers (Google, Bing, Yahoo). |
URL report
Below the tiles, the URL report lists all 404 URLs with the following details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| URL | The URL that returned the 404 error, along with how many times it was accessed. |
| User agent type | The type of user agent that accessed the URL (Browser, Bot, or Unknown). |
| User agent | The specific access type within the user agent hierarchy. |
| URL referrer | The page that linked to the 404 URL. |
| Date (UTC) | The date the URL was accessed. |
Hover over a URL to reveal the Copy () icon and copy it.
Click Export CSV to download the full URL report in .csv format to your local storage.
Best practices
- Set up a redirect rule whenever you delete, deprecate, or hide an article. This prevents the old URL from returning a 404 error. See Article redirect rules for details.
- Change article URLs only when necessary. If you do change a URL, add a redirect rule immediately so existing links continue to work.
- Double-check URLs when adding hyperlinks. Linking to a non-existent or mistyped URL is one of the most common causes of 404 errors.
- Prioritize Browser 404s over Bot 404s. Browser errors indicate real readers hitting dead links. Fix those first, then address bot-related errors for SEO. Use Link status analytics to find and fix the underlying broken links across your knowledge base.
- Export and bulk-import redirect rules after a major restructure. Navigate to Settings () and go to Knowledge base site and then Article redirect rules to import rules in bulk rather than adding them one by one.
FAQ
What is a 404 error?
A 404 error occurs when a webpage cannot be found. This typically happens when a URL has been deleted or changed without a redirect rule being set up.
What causes a 404 error?
- Deleted URL: The page no longer exists.
- Changed URL: The URL was changed but no redirect was set up. See Article redirect rules.
- Incorrect URL: The URL was mistyped or linked incorrectly.
- Server issues: A server problem prevented the page from loading.
Why is it important to fix 404 errors?
A high number of 404 errors harms both reader experience and SEO. Search engines like Google and Bing may penalize sites with many unresolved 404 errors, reducing your knowledge base's discoverability.
How do I fix 404 errors in my knowledge base?
- Navigate to Analytics () and click Link status. The Link status analytics page shows all broken, redirected, and working links across your project.
- Click Filter, select Broken from the Status dropdown, and click Apply.
- Click Export CSV to download the list of broken links.
- Navigate to Settings () and go to Knowledge base site and then Article redirect rules.
- Add a redirect rule for each broken URL, or import rules in bulk.