The Visitors report helps locate recent requests for missing resources. Repeated 404 responses can come from broken page links, an outdated cache, search-engine history or automated probing, and each cause needs a different response.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What you need before you begin
Choose the affected domain and record an example missing URL. Do not create arbitrary files simply because an automated scanner requested them.
01 Use Visitors reports to diagnose repeated missing-file requests
- Open Visitors and select the magnifying-glass action for the correct domain.
- Use the column settings to display Status and, when helpful, request method. Search for the relevant path or recent failing requests.
- Compare the requested URL with the referring page, user agent, time and response size. A page you control repeatedly referring to the same missing asset suggests a repairable link.
- Correct the actual page reference or restore the intended legitimate asset. For a moved public page, create a deliberate redirect to its relevant replacement.
- Reload the affected page with developer tools or a fresh browser session and check the report for the new successful request.
02 Example: choose the response that fits the missing URL
| Observed request | What to do next |
|---|---|
Your homepage references /images/old-banner.jpg, and that file returns 404. |
Correct the homepage reference or restore the intended image, then reload the page and confirm that image request succeeds. |
An old public page at /services-old has a genuine replacement at /services. |
Use a deliberate redirect to the relevant replacement and test that it reaches the correct content. |
| An unknown client requests an unrecognised script path that your website has never used. | Check the surrounding requests and security evidence. Do not create that script or redirect it to the homepage merely to remove the 404. |
A requested path is evidence of a request, not proof that the file existed or that an attacker gained access. Compare it with your actual application and deployment history.
Confirm the expected result
Legitimate page assets should return the intended content, and moved pages should reach their appropriate replacement without a redirect loop. Random probes may continue returning 404, which is often correct.
Troubleshoot unexpected results
Visitors only covers recent available log entries and can shrink after rotation. Use Raw Access for broader investigation. If a CDN serves an old HTML page referencing removed assets, purge the specific stale content and verify the origin separately.
Should every 404 redirect to the homepage?
No. That can hide broken links and confuse visitors. Redirect a genuinely moved page to its relevant replacement, and allow nonexistent or maliciously guessed paths to return an appropriate error.