410 Response Manager provides a powerful solution for managing HTTP 410 (Gone) responses in WordPress. When content is permanently removed, sending a proper 410 status code helps search engines understand that the content is gone forever and should be removed from their index.
Install from GitHub or WordPress:
Why Use 410 Instead of 404?
While a 404 status code indicates “Not Found”, a 410 status code explicitly tells search engines that the content has been permanently removed and will not return. This helps search engines:
- Remove the pages from their index faster
- Stop attempting to crawl these URLs
- Better allocate their crawl budget to your active content
Key Features
- Manual URL Management: Add individual URL patterns with a user-friendly interface
- Regular Expression Support: Use regex patterns to match multiple URLs with a single rule
- Bulk Import via CSV: Import multiple URL patterns at once using a CSV file
- 404 to 410 Conversion: Option to automatically convert all 404 responses to 410
- Native Theme Integration: Uses your theme’s 404 template with a 410 status code
- Performance Optimized: Built-in caching for optimal performance
- Regex Pattern Validation: Validates regex patterns before saving
- Bulk Actions: Manage multiple URL patterns at once
Perfect For
- E-commerce sites removing discontinued products
- Content sites archiving old sections
- Websites undergoing restructuring
- SEO professionals managing dead links
- Developers handling API deprecation
Use Cases
- E-commerce
- Mark discontinued products as permanently gone
- Handle old category URLs after restructuring
- Manage deprecated variant URLs
- Content Sites
- Remove archived content properly
- Handle old author pages
- Manage deprecated tag/category URLs
- API Management
- Mark deprecated API endpoints
- Handle old version URLs
- Manage removed documentation
CSV Import Format
The CSV import feature accepts files with the following format:
- Two columns:
url_pattern,is_regex url_pattern: The URL path to match (e.g.,/old-product)is_regex: Use1for regex patterns,0for exact matches
Example:
url_pattern,is_regex
/old-product,0
^/products/deprecated/.*,1
/removed-section,0
/archive/2020/.*,1Developer Friendly
- Well-documented code
- Follows WordPress coding standards
- Efficient caching implementation
- Proper security measures
- Extensible through filters and actions
Performance Impact
The plugin is designed with performance in mind:
- Efficient database queries
- Built-in caching
- Minimal resource usage
- No front-end scripts
- Optimized pattern matching
Security Features
- Input validation and sanitization
- Nonce verification
- Capability checks
- XSS prevention
- Safe CSV handling
Support
- Documentation: Plugin Documentation
- Support: Support Forums
- Updates: Regular updates and maintenance
Installation
- Upload the plugin files to
/wp-content/plugins/410-response-manager - Activate the plugin in WordPress admin panel
- Navigate to ‘410 Manager’ in your admin menu
- Start adding URL patterns or import via CSV
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between 404 and 410 status codes?
- 404 (Not Found): The server can’t find the requested resource
- 410 (Gone): The resource existed but was permanently removed
Can I use regular expressions?
Yes! Enable “Use as Regular Expression” when adding URLs. Examples:
^/products/.*– Match all product URLs/archive/\d{4}/.*– Match yearly archive URLs/api/v1/.*– Match old API version URLs
How does the CSV import work?
- Prepare a CSV file with two columns: url_pattern,is_regex
- Use the CSV Upload tab to import
- The plugin validates each entry before importing
- Failed imports are reported separately
Will this affect my site’s performance?
No. The plugin:
- Uses efficient caching
- Minimal database queries
- No front-end loading
- Optimized pattern matching
How do I convert all 404s to 410s?
Enable the “Convert 404 to 410” option in Settings. All 404 responses will then be sent as 410s.
