What Is a 410 Status Code?

The target resource is no longer available at the origin server and that this condition is likely to be permanent.

If the origin server does not know, or has no facility to determine, whether or not the condition is permanent, the status code 404 Not Found ought to be used instead.

The 410 response is primarily intended to assist the task of web maintenance by notifying the recipient that the resource is intentionally unavailable and that the server owners desire that remote links to that resource be removed. Such an event is common for limited-time, promotional services and for resources belonging to individuals no longer associated with the origin server’s site. It is not necessary to mark all permanently unavailable resources as “gone” or to keep the mark for any length of time — that is left to the discretion of the server owner.

A 410 response is cacheable by default; i.e., unless otherwise indicated by the method definition or explicit cache controls¹.

• ¹ Calculating Heuristic Freshness RFC7234 Section 4.2.2
• Source: RFC7231 Section 6.5.9

410 CODE REFERENCES

Rails HTTP Status Symbol :gone

Go HTTP Status Constant http.StatusGone

Symfony HTTP Status Constant Response::HTTP_GONE

Python2 HTTP Status Constant httplib.GONE

Python3+ HTTP Status Constant http.client.GONE

Python3.5+ HTTP Status Constant http.HTTPStatus.GONE

.NET HttpStatusCode.Gone

Rust http::StatusCode::GONE

Java java.net.HttpURLConnection.HTTP_GONE

Apache HttpComponents Core org.apache.hc.core5.http.HttpStatus.SC_GONE

Angular @angular/common/http/HttpStatusCode.Gone

410 status code example

Here’s an example of a request and response for a 410 status code:

Request

GET /product/1234 HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com

Response

HTTP/1.1 410 Gone
Content-Type: text/plain

The requested product has been discontinued and is no longer available.

In this example, the client is making a GET request to retrieve information about a product with the ID 1234 on the server. The server is indicating that the requested resource is no longer available and has been removed permanently with a 410 Gone status code.

The response includes a message that indicates why the resource is no longer available, in this case, that the product has been discontinued. This means that the client cannot expect the resource to be available again in the future.

The 410 status code is a standard HTTP status code that is intended to indicate that the requested resource is no longer available and has been removed permanently. It is similar to a 404 Not Found status code, but the 410 status code indicates that the resource is intentionally removed and will not be available again.

How to fix a 410 status code

A 410 status code indicates that the requested resource is no longer available and has been removed permanently. Therefore, it cannot be “fixed” by the client, as the resource has been intentionally removed by the server and will not be available again.

However, there are a few things that clients can do in response to a 410 status code:

• Update the link or reference to the resource: If the client is referencing the resource on their website or application, they should remove the link or reference to the resource and update any internal links that may point to the resource.
• Redirect to a similar resource: If there is a similar resource that can be used instead, the client can set up a redirect to the new resource. This can help maintain the user experience and prevent broken links.
• Inform users of the removal: If the removal of the resource may have an impact on users, such as if it was a commonly used feature, the client should inform users of the removal and provide any necessary alternatives or workarounds.

In summary, a 410 status code cannot be “fixed” by the client, as the resource has been intentionally removed and will not be available again. However, clients can take steps to update their references to the resource, redirect to similar resources, and inform users of the removal.

Can a 410 status code affect SEO?

Yes, a 410 status code can affect search engine optimization (SEO) because it indicates that the requested resource has been intentionally removed and will not be available again. When a search engine encounters a 410 status code, it will remove the corresponding URL from its index and may decrease the page’s ranking.

Here are some potential SEO impacts of a 410 status code:

• Removal from search engine index: When a search engine encounters a 410 status code, it will remove the corresponding URL from its index. This means that the page will no longer appear in search results and may decrease the page’s visibility and traffic.
• Loss of backlinks: If the page has incoming links from other websites, those links will also be removed, and the page may lose valuable backlinks. This can affect the page’s authority and ranking.
• Negative impact on user experience: A 410 status code can be confusing or frustrating for users who may have bookmarked or linked to the removed page. This can negatively impact user experience and may discourage users from returning to the site.

To mitigate the impact of a 410 status code on SEO, it’s important to properly handle the response. Clients can provide a custom 410 error page that includes information about why the resource was removed and any available alternatives. Additionally, clients can set up a redirect to a similar resource if one exists, which can help maintain the user experience and prevent broken links.

Additional resources

• Learn about web development
• Learn about SEO
• Web development services from WebFX
• SEO services from WebFX
• MDN Web Docs
• W3Schools

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