[Next.js Renderer] Pages: 404 Page Returns HTTP 200 Instead of 404

Why does the “Page not found” page return an HTTP 200 status instead of 404? Why does redirecting to a 404 page not automatically return the correct status code? How can a proper HTTP 404 response be returned in a Next.js Sitefinity project? What changes are required in the Next.js renderer to handle not found pages correctly?

Jun 1, 2026
Knowledge

Title

URL Name

next-js-renderer-pages-404-page-returns-http-200-instead-of-404

Article Number

000301276

Environment

Product: Sitefinity Next.js Renderer

Question/Problem Description

In a Sitefinity project using the Next.js renderer, a custom “Page not found” page has been configured in Sitefinity and routing is working correctly.

When navigating to a non-existent URL, the application redirects to the configured 404 page as expected. However, the HTTP response status returned is 200 (OK) instead of 404 (Not Found).

Additional configurations, such as updates to web.config, have been implemented, but the issue persists.

This leads to incorrect HTTP responses, which can affect:

SEO (search engines may index invalid pages)
Monitoring and diagnostics
Expected HTTP behavior for missing resources

Steps to Reproduce

Clarifying Information

Error Message

Defect Number

Enhancement Number

Cause

The root cause is related to how the Next.js renderer handles responses in a decoupled setup—specifically, the HTTP status must be explicitly set within the Next.js application.

Resolution

The behavior is caused by the decoupled architecture of the Next.js renderer, where HTTP response handling is controlled by the Next.js application rather than Sitefinity.

In this setup, redirecting to a “Page not found” page alone does not automatically set the HTTP status code to 404. The status code must be explicitly defined in the Next.js routing logic.

Implementation Steps:

1. Update Dynamic Route Handling

Update the catch-all route file:

File: src/app/[...slug]/page.tsx

import { Metadata } from 'next';
import { notFound } from 'next/navigation';
import { RenderPage, pageMetadata } from '@progress/sitefinity-nextjs-sdk/pages';
import { templateRegistry } from '../template-registry';

export async function generateMetadata({ params, searchParams }: any): Promise<Metadata> {
  return await pageMetadata({ params, searchParams });
}

export default async function Page({ params, searchParams }: any) {

  const result: any = await RenderPage({
    params,
    searchParams,
    templates: templateRegistry
  });

  // Detect invalid or not found pages and return HTTP 404
  if (
    !result ||
    !result.props ||
    result.props.error ||
    result.props.notFound ||
    result.props.statusCode === 404
  ) {
    notFound();
  }

  return result;
}

This ensures that when a page cannot be resolved, Next.js explicitly returns a 404 HTTP response.

2. Add a Custom 404 Page in Next.js

Create a dedicated 404 page:

File: src/app/not-found.tsx

export default function NotFound() {
  return (
    <div style={{ padding: 40 }}>
      <h1>404 - Page Not Found</h1>
      <p>The requested page could not be found.</p>
    </div>
  );
}

This defines the UI shown when notFound() is triggered.

Workaround

Notes

Keyword Phrase

Last Modified Date

6/1/2026 3:37 PM