WebProNews

Short 404 pages to blame

The short version: short 404 pages on one's website will drive a Google-generated 404 page on browsers running the Google Toolbar.

Count us among the sites noting reports of Google Toolbar's bad behavior with 404 error pages. As the old saying goes, it's not a bug, it's a feature.

Google's Matt Cutts explained why everyone should calm down and take a breath. The Toolbar behavior had been disclosed in a couple of places, but probably didn't receive enough attention.

"If you’re a webmaster and want users to see your custom 404 page, just make your page be more than 512 bytes long," Cutts said.

On the user side of Google Toolbar, disabling the 404 feature requires a three-click process to turn it off. Not installing the Toolbar also effectively prevents the 404 substitution from taking place.