A 3XX status code indicates a redirect, and an HTTP 304 status code falls into the same category. Many more status codes with different names fall under this.
Now let's take a brief look at the 304- NOT MODIFIED status codes. This indicates that the requested resources have not been modified since the last page visit. In this case, the server directed the user to view the cached version of the resource. The problem can be either on the server side or on the client side.
304 codes cannot always be treated as errors.
They can help improve the user experience. Since the data is already cached, it can help Google's robots index other web pages. In this guide, we explained 304 code errors, their causes and ways to resolve them. Why does HTTP 304 happen? This is basically a customer or visitor error, which means an error on the part of the visitor. Below are possible reasons. Malware and viruses 304 errors can be caused by malware.
It is possible that the user's browser is infected with a virus causing the error. History of the browser Sometimes our browser history is responsible for 304 Not Modified messages.
When the cache is full and there is no room for new resources. Corrupt files in the browser Sometimes it happens that our browser creates corrupted files and this prevents the browser from saving or updating data. Problem with a third-party program Browser versions, plugins, or any faulty third-party applications cause 304 errors.
For Website Owners: Check .htaccess file
It may be possible that the issue is in your server configuration files so it is recommended to check your .htaccess files
Step 1- Open your cPanel
Step 2- Go to the file manager
Step 3- Search public_html, which is the root directory of your website
Step 4- Locate the .htaccess file. You may have to enable show hidden file in the file manager to see it.
Step 5- Select the .htaccess file and click on Rename.
Step 6- Renamed it as .htaccess_diabled
Step 7- Save the changes
Check if the website start working normally.
More Solutions: How To Resolve ‘304 – Not Modified Code’
If you are a website owner, start with an application backup: Always create a backup before doing any changes to the website’s cPanel. As a website administrator, having backup options are necessary.
Suppose the method does not work and data also got erased, you will be able to restore it later.
Many hosting providers provide daily backups at almost zero cost such as Hostinger, Hostarmada, Fastcomet, and Bluehost.
Browser Cache May Be The Culprit, Refresh It Once
You should start with this method as there is a lot of data that is stored on browser storage. So clearing the browser cache will be helpful. Clearing the cache will remove all the previous information and now your device can acquire freshly updated information.
If you are using Google Chrome –
Step 1- First, go to the 3 dots at the top right corner of your browser.
Step 2- Go to More Tools > Clear Browsing Data
Step 3- Select the time range
Step 4- Click on clear data
Reload the page
If you are using Microsoft Edge–
Step 1- Click on the three-dot
Step 2- Go to settings
Step 3- Now search for Clear browsing data
Step4- Select the data you want to clear
Step 5- Click Clear
Reload the page
Sometimes reloading a webpage fixes any issue
Pres F5 to Refresh the page. If 304 errors are temporary then it will solve the issue.
Disable your Browser extension
We will show you how to do that for Google Chrome:
Step 1- Go to the three dots at the top right corner
Step 2- Then Go to settings
Step 3- On the left-hand side you will find Extensions
Step 4- Check out all the extensions one by one by turning them on and off
Step 5- Check your site if it is not working or not.
Malware scan
Firstly make sure that you’re using the latest version of Google Chrome.
To inspect and update –
Step 1– Ever notice three dots on your Google Chrome, click there.
Step 2- You will see a help option, go there and search About Google Chrome
Step 3- Update Google Chrome and Relaunch
Step 4- Go to chrome://settings/cleanup
Step 5- Press the find button
Step 6- The browser will check for any harmful software. You delete or disable them permanently.
Check to see if the error got fixed or not.
Incorrect DNS Address
One major cause of the 304 status code is an incorrect DNS address so to fix it, we need to go to our windows and we need to do some changes to the network and connections.
Step 1- Open the control panel on your system and go to the network and Internet
Step 2- Then go to Network and Sharing Center
Step 3- Click on adapter settings
Step 4- Select wifi and go to its properties
Step 5- Then select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
Step 6- Click on Properties
Step 7- Add preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS Server
8.8.4.4 in Alternate and 8.8.8.8 in Preference.
Now refresh the tab and check if the error got fixed or not.
Reset your TCP/IP settings
Step 1- Search the command prompt on your system
Step 2- Write the command netsh winsock reset
Step 3- Prese Enter
Restart your system and check to see if this issue is gone or not.
Resetting DNS-
It can be possible that a faulty cache is causing these 304 errors. So try to reset DNS. It also helps in loading pages faster. Also, clearing your DNS regularly helps you to promote the security of your system.
Step 1- Go to Chrome browser
Step 2-Type in the search bar
chrome:/net-internals/#dns
Step 3- A section will appear Clear Host Cache
Step 4- Click on it
Flush DNS from your system-
Follow these steps to flush DNS from your system-
Step1- Go to your system, search the command prompt
Step 2- The command prompt will open
Step 3- Type this command to clear DNS
ipconfig /flushdns
Step 4- Press Enter key
A confirmation message will appear. Then restart your system and try to access the website again.
If you are a Mac user, then you can follow these steps to clear DNS in your system
Step 1- Go to terminal
Step 2- Select the terminal and run this command (if you have this version – Mac OS X Yosemite v10.10 and v10.10.3)
Sudo discoveryutil mdnsflushcache
Step 3- Press Enter
Step 4- Refresh and restart your device
How Does The 304 Status Code Affect SEO
Some of the SEO issues can negatively affect our website’s ranking on the search engines, so it is important to fix them.
Some common SEO issues are-
Incorrect Index page
Broken links
Missing XML sitemaps
Slow loading speed
An issue in robots.txt files
No HTTP security
304 Redirection Code tells Google that the resources on this particular page are the same as the last time it was crawled.
It means that the URLs are crawled and Google will skip them.
What are the most important status codes for Seo?
These codes are most important for SEO-
200 status code
301 status code
302 status code
404 status code
410 status code
500 status code
503 status code