Why is SEMRush reporting a 404 error on our Webflow website that includes our site URL followed by a colon ("/:")? How can we fix this issue?
TL;DR
- Identify & fix internal links: Check SEMRush’s report, manually test URLs, and ensure no Webflow links contain
/:. - Update broken links: Inspect navigation, collection URLs, and internal links, replacing any faulty URLs.
- Set up a redirect: In Webflow’s 301 Redirects, redirect
/:URLs to the correct path and publish changes. - Re-audit in SEMRush: Run a new site audit and adjust crawl settings if necessary.
SEMRush is flagging 404 errors on your Webflow site for URLs ending in /: because Webflow does not support URL paths with a colon (:) at the end. This may be due to incorrect internal links, misconfigured redirects, or errors in SEMRush's crawling.
1. Identify the Error Source
- Check SEMRush’s report: Locate affected URLs (
yoursite.com/:) in the Site Audit under "Issues." - Manually test the URL: Enter the reported URL (
yoursite.com/:) in a browser—Webflow will likely return a 404 Page Not Found error. - Review your Webflow links: Ensure no internal links or navigation contain an unnecessary
/:at the end.
2. Fix Any Internal Linking Issues
- Inspect site navigation: In Webflow’s Designer, check links in the Navbar, Footer, or anywhere else.
- Look for misconfigured Collection URLs: If using dynamic pages, ensure slugs do not mistakenly include
/:. - Update broken links: Replace any occurrences of
/:with the correct URL structure.
3. Create a Redirect in Webflow (If Necessary)
- Go to Webflow Project Settings → Publishing → 301 Redirects.
- Add this redirect:
- Old Path:
/:(.*) - New Path:
/(or the correct target URL) - Save and Publish the site, then test the fixed redirect.
4. Adjust SEMRush Crawl Settings (If Needed)
- Re-run SEMRush’s audit after making changes.
- If SEMRush is mistakenly forcing incorrect URL paths, check crawl settings and exclude malformed URLs from the audit.
Summary
Webflow does not support colons (:) in URLs, causing SEMRush to report 404 errors. To fix this, remove any internal links containing "/:", set up a redirect, and re-run your site audit.