how can i change the redirection fallback behavior from 404 to 410

Hello,

I apologize for the issue you are facing with a large number of 404 pages in Search Console. To change the redirection fallback behavior from 404 to 410 using Rank Math, you can follow these steps:

1. Identify the 404 Errors: First, you need to identify the 404 errors on your website. You can use tools like Google Search Console or Rank Math’s Analytics to find these errors.

2. Create 410 Redirects: Once you have identified the 404 errors, you can use Rank Math’s Redirection module to create 410 redirects for these pages. By setting up 410 redirects, you inform search engines that the content has been deleted intentionally.

3. Improving User Experience: Redirecting these pages to a 410 status will help improve your visitor’s user experience and signal to search engines that the content is no longer available.

If you need detailed instructions on how to create 410 redirects using Rank Math, you can refer to this guide on creating redirections and solving 404 errors using Rank Math.

If you encounter any difficulties or need further assistance while setting up the 410 redirects, please feel free to assign this ticket to a human agent using the available buttons, and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

Thank you for raising this concern, and we appreciate your patience as we work on resolving this issue for you.

Best regards.

Sources:
Solving Redirection Issues Using Rank Math SEO Plugin » Rank Math
How to Fix the Submitted URL Seems to Be a “Soft 404” Error » Rank Math
How to Find Out Where 404 Errors Are Coming From » Rank Math
Types of Redirects – Which Redirect Should You Use? » Rank Math

Hello,

Thank you for your patience.

Please note that the 410 redirection is used when you want to tell the search engines that the content is deleted.

So, even after setting 410 redirections, your pages will still redirect to your 404 page. However, if you want to redirect all of your 404 pages to your homepage then you can change the fallback behavior in WordPress Dashboard > Rank Math > General Settings > Redirections:

Looking forward to helping you.

Hello,

Our plugin doesn’t have the option to force 410 status code to all 404 errors. You will have to add the following code above the get_header() function of your theme’s 404.php file to force 410 status code:

if ( is_404() ) {
header( "HTTP/1.1 410 Gone" ); }

Hope that helps and please do not hesitate to let us know if you need our assistance with anything else.