SharePoint 404 File Not Found – How to Fix It Quickly

A SharePoint 404 File Not Found error occurs when a page or file cannot be located. This happens when files are deleted, moved, renamed, or when links break after a SharePoint Online tenant to tenant migration. The good news is that in most cases, the problem can be resolved quickly. 

Today, I’ll walk you through the most common causes of the SharePoint 404 error and the step-by-step fixes to prevent it from happening again.

Table of Contents

• What Does the Error Mean?
• Common Causes
• How to Troubleshoot and 404 Errors
  • Step 1. Verify the URL
  • Step 2. Check if the File or Page Exists
  • Step 3. Check Version History
  • Step 4. Review Permissions
  • Step 5. Check for Draft or Unpublished Pages
  • Step 6. Inspect Customisations for Classic Sites
  • Step 7. Use SharePoint Designer or PowerShell to Locate the File
  • Step 8. Check for Broken Links
  • Step 9. Clear Browser Cache and Recheck
  • Step 10. Restore from Backup
• Author’s Verdict
• People Also Ask

What Does the SharePoint 404 File Not Found Error Mean?

A 404 error indicates that the SharePoint site or file you’re trying to access can’t be located on the server. It’s similar to a website’s 404 error, but in SharePoint, it has to do with permission issues, incorrect URLs, deleted content, or broken links after migration.

This message looks something like:

404 NOT FOUND: The resource you are looking for has been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

If you’re seeing the same message or something similar, and wondering why this happens. Then, don’t worry, as in the upcoming section, I’ll share the main reasons that lead to this. 

Common Causes of the SharePoint 404 File Not Found

This error can appear for several different reasons. Below are the most common ones I’ve encountered:

• Sometimes a page or document has been removed accidentally. Restoring it from the Recycle Bin usually fixes the issue.
• If a file or page has been moved to a different location or renamed, old links break and result in a 404. This is especially common when you migrate SharePoint list to another site or site restructuring.
• A small typo in the link can prevent SharePoint from locating the resource.
• In publishing sites, pages that are saved as drafts or pending approval are not visible to regular users, leading to a 404 Not Found error.
• In some configurations, SharePoint returns a 404 instead of 403 to hide content from users without access.
• Custom master pages, add-ins, or URL rewrite rules can misroute requests, leading to 404 errors.
• After migrating content between tenants or from on-premises to SharePoint Online, links are not updated automatically and show an error.

How to Troubleshoot and Fix SharePoint 404 File Not Found Errors

After understanding the causes, most users will easily fix this error on their own. Still, here I’ll provide the step-by-step process to resolve the issue without failure:

#Step 1. Verify the URL

Check if the URL is valid, as a small typo like /SitePages/Home.aspx vs /SitePages/home.aspx can cause a 404. 

Try opening the parent directory to see if the file exists there.

#Step 2. Check if the File or Page Exists

Open the Site Contents or Site Pages in the SharePoint UI and look for the missing item.

• If it’s missing, check the Recycle Bin.
• If it’s there, restore it immediately.

Path:

Site Settings > Site Contents > Recycle Bin

If you permanently delete SharePoint site, then there is no way to restore it, until you have an offline backup.

#Step 3. Check Version History

Sometimes, the page or file might have been replaced or renamed. Check the Version History to confirm changes:

1. Open the library where the file resides.
2. Click the three dots (…) next to the file.
3. Select Version History.

If having multiple libraries, then it is suggested to copy document library to another SharePoint site, so that you can see version history from one centralised location, which saves you time.

#Step 4. Review Permissions

If suspect permissions are causing the SharePoint 404 File Not Found issue, verify who has access:

• Open Library Settings > Permissions for this document library.
• Use the Check Permissions option to confirm if the user has access.

Restoring or reassigning permissions instantly fixes the 404. That’s why you don’t skip this crucial step.

#Step 5. Check for Draft or Unpublished Pages

In publishing sites, ensure that the page is published and approved. For the same:

1. Open the Pages library.
2. Check the Approval Status column.
3. If it says “Draft” or “Pending,” publish the page.

#Step 6. Inspect Customisations for Classic Sites

Custom code or third-party add-ins can sometimes misroute URLs. For SharePoint on-premises or classic sites using custom master pages, check:

• The Master Page Gallery
• Any custom URL rewrite or managed path settings in IIS for on-prem

#Step 7. Use SharePoint Designer or PowerShell to Locate the File

If you can’t find a file through the browser, connect via SharePoint Designer or PowerShell to search for it. 

For the same, run PowerShell in SharePoint Online:

Connect-SPOService -Url https://mackjohntenant-admin.sharepoint.com

Get-SPOSite | ForEach-Object {Get-SPOFile -Site $_.Url -Path “SitePages/Home.aspx”}

#Step 8. Check for Broken Links

If the SharePoint 404 File Not Found error occurred after a migration, run a link checker or use a professional SharePoint Online Migration Tool to bypass the broken internal URLs issue.

Opting for a reliable solution, I ensure all links are updated automatically, and document IDs are preserved, which minimises the risk of 404 errors.

#Step 9. Clear Browser Cache and Recheck

Sometimes cached pages or old cookies interfere. I clear the browser cache, sign out, and try again in a private window.

#Step 10. Restore from Backup

If none of the above works, and the file truly doesn’t exist anymore, restore it from a backup or version history.

For SharePoint Online, Microsoft keeps deleted items for up to 93 days in two stages:

• First-stage Recycle Bin, which is accessible to users.
• Second-stage Recycle Bin is only accessible to site collection admins.

If you don’t backup SharePoint Online to local storage, then learn how to check the Site Collection Administrator in SharePoint Online to contact that person, and restore files. 

So, with these 10 steps, you can effectively resolve the error in minutes. 

Author’s Verdict

The “SharePoint 404 File Not Found” error can occur due to missing files, broken links, or permissions misconfigurations. To resolve this, we discussed the step-by-step procedure. I guarantee that after following these instructions, one can easily fix this issue without failure.  

People Also Ask

Q. Can permissions cause a 404 error in SharePoint?
Yes, sometimes users see a 404 instead of “Access Denied” due to permission inheritance or misconfigured access controls.

Q. How do I restore a deleted SharePoint page?
Open Recycle Bin and restore it. If it’s missing there, check the second-stage Recycle Bin in Site Collection Administration.

Q. How to prevent 404 errors in SharePoint?

Here are the preventive measures to avoid the SharePoint 404 File Not Found in future:

• Avoid renaming or moving important files.
• Publish all site pages after editing.
• Use document IDs or relative URLs.