More often or not, they are ‘bots’ ( automated processes ) try to see if there are vulnerable scripts left on your server.
You can analyse your access logs further to see if this is the case.
The alternative is that one of your plugins or theme is trying to load these files but they are not there. This is less likely, but you can check by text searching your plugins or themes directories for filenames that are 404ing
Hello Alan,
Thanks for your explanation.
Indeed: bots are causing a lots of errors. I see user agent http://www.bing.com/bingbot.htm together with source-URL’s of non-existing directories and files of one or more years ago. So if I understand correctly, Bingbot is still searching for old stuff.
I’m managing four WordPress-sites. Another site showed a lot of Google-analytics-errors. Therefore now I’ve uninstalled Monsterboard-plugin (using Google-Analytics), waiting to see what happens.
I’m afraid it will take some time to find all causes and solutions.
Regards, Willem
You should install one of the Broken Link Check plugins and have look at what it finds. Could be you do some redirect errors or missing pages.
Hello Rob,
Thanks for this advise. I’ve installed a Broken Link-checker on my four WP-sites. Happily this plugin doesn’t find any broken links. But I’ll keep an eye on it.
One of my sites showed a lot of errors concerning “…/email-decode-min.js”. So I’ve uninstalled the plugin ‘Simple email-address-decoder’, because the website of this plugin doesn’t exist anymore. Maybe that was the cause of these errors (?).
I’m going to watch the 404-errors in the coming period.
Regards Willem
Errors disappear when missing/removed pages are redirected to a valid page. Should be a page stating something like “What you were looking for is gone.” rather than a 404 page. This page should also use a: rel=”nodindex” attribute.
OK, now I’ve redirected some missing pages to the root of the website.
Strangely enough, several 404 reports concern fairly old website pages, no longer existing. Pages those, for example, were used very briefly when starting the site, such as https: // <mywebsite.com> / test /. I can’t image those URL’s still exist as hyperlinks on my site. At any case: In can’t find them.
404 errors are usually for one of two reasons.
1. There is a link on your own site pointing to an invalid page on your site.
2. The page was indexed by a Search Engine, as being on your site or someone else’s.
3. Bots are hitting your site looking for what they want, regardless of whether it is actually there.
A broken link checker gets to the bottom of #1 and helps to determine what to do as those are the ones that will hurt your SEO.
Redirecting invalid links is just a part of site maintenance. Note that one needs to be aware that Bots will always be hitting your site and redirecting for everything they are looking for is a waste of time. Focus on the large number of repeating 404’s — say 4 or more per day.
And if all is good, please remember to mark this thread as Resolved. 🙂
Hello Rob,
Thank you for your explanations.
During the last days I’ve inspected the logs and indeed:
1. I’ve found and corrected some invalid URL’s. During the last days my new ‘Broken Link Checker’ doesn’t report broken links any more.
2. Some no-more-existing pages (maybe from years ago) were wanted. Apparently wanted by (a) search-engine(s). Some of these old URL’s I’ve redirected now.
3. Bots are looking for strange non-existing URL’s, for instance /../../plugin’s I’ve never used. I will deny these 404-errors in the future. Your explanation about these bots was very helpfull. Thanks!
Regards, Willem
