The HTTP status code 410 indicates that access to the target resource is no longer available at the origin server.

As a part of our Server Management Services, we help our Customers to fix http related errors regularly.

Let us today discuss the possible causes and fixes for this error.

What is HTTP status code 410?

The 410 status code occurs when a user tries to access an asset that no longer exists on the requested server.

This happens when the resource is gone permanently and it does not have any forwarding address.

Webmasters often use the 410 response intentionally to notify the recipient that the resource is unavailable and that the server owners desire that remote links to that resource be removed.

It is normally used for promotional services or similar limited-time events.

There are a few different ways that you might see a 410 Gone error. This includes:

• 410 Gone
• Gone
• Error 410
•  HTTP Status 410

Causes and Fixes for HTTP status code 410

First thing we need to do to collect more information on this status code is to check the webserver logs. The exact location of the logs may depend on the webserver used by the system.

Though in most cases 410 Gone is intentional, at times some client-side errors can also trigger this error. These can happen in situations like:

• The server used to have a valid resource available at the requested location, but it was removed.
• The server should have a valid resource at the requested location, but it is unintentionally reporting that the resource has been removed.
• The client is trying to request the incorrect resource.

The most common reason for this error is the usage of the wrong URL at the client-side. It generally happens when the resource was previously present at that URL and the server was set to return a 410 status code for that resource.

Another common reason for this error is application or platform changes. While using CMS like WordPress or Joomla, adding plugins or modules at times, result in unwanted changes.

If the Gone error suddenly appears after such a change, it would be a good idea to revert the recently made changes.  At times, plugin or module changes modify the databases as well. Thus it is also important to verify the databases.

Sometimes, the redirects set in the configuration files can also trigger this error. For Apache, we need to check both the apache server configuration file as well as the .htaccess file. Likewise, for Nginx, we need to check the nginx.conf file.

Search for “410”  within these files and see if anything comes up. If it does, we need to take a closer look at what the redirect rule is actually doing. Further, we may need to be modify it in order to apply to only a specific page or we can remove it entirely if not required.

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Conclusion

In short, when a user tries to access an asset that no longer exists on the requested server, it often returns an http status code of 410. Today, we saw how our Support Engineers fix this error.