PHP Page Header Status

[Naveenn]

I have a very old php script (forum) running which I need to fix in a way to return the correct Apache status. The script returns a 302 status for all 404 pages. I would like to return a 404 for all pages which no longer exist.

This is a problem especially with the Google Webmaster tools showing all these as soft 404s errors.

[g1smd]

Use the HEADER directive. This must be sent before any other output to the browser. The extra code will need to be very near the beginning of your PHP script.

[Readie]

In the past when looking up the 404 header (I can't remember the syntax for everything :) ) I've seen people advise the following:

header('HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found', true, 404);
header('Status: 404 Not Found');

I'm not sure if having them both really makes any difference though.

[swa66]

I think

header("HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found");

is enough.
More info: [php.net...]

[lucy24]

I think it depends on your php version. Even if you're on shared hosting, they should say somewhere. There's one form that goes

:: shuffling papers ::

 if (function_exists('http_response_code'))
 { http_response_code(404); }
 else
 { header($_SERVER['SERVER_PROTOCOL'] . " 404 Not Found"); }
 include ($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . "/boilerplate/missing.html");

The last line is cut-and-paste from my own vaguely analogous code. This part is crucial-- the task, that is, not the exact filename-- because the 404 doesn't come from the server, so the 404 page won't be shown unless you explicitly code for it. If you leave it out, humans will see a perfectly blank screen. This is unnerving when it happens ;)

[coopster]

I would like to return a 404 for all pages which no longer exist

You may also consider a 410 Gone. In the Apache conf you merely use:

Redirect gone /path/to/no-longer-exists.htm

More information:
[w3.org...]