The best examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking (and how to fix them)

Real-world examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking

Let’s start where developers actually feel the pain: broken links in real projects. These examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking all look harmless in code reviews, but every one of them ends in a 404 in the browser.

Example 1: The classic typo in an <a> tag

You intend to link to your About page:

<a href="about.html">About</a>

But the actual file on disk is named about-us.html:

/project-root
  index.html
  about-us.html

Result: clicking About sends the browser to /about.html. The server looks for that file, fails to find it, and returns a 404. This is the simplest example of file not found error examples in HTML linking: the HTML references a file that simply doesn’t exist under that name.

Why it’s common:

• Content editors rename pages (about.html → about-us.html) without updating the HTML.
• Developers hardcode links before the final URL scheme is decided.

Example 2: Wrong relative path after reorganizing folders

Imagine an early-stage project where all pages live in the root:

/project-root
  index.html
  contact.html
  styles.css

You link to the stylesheet like this:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">

Later, you organize files into folders:

/project-root
  index.html
  contact.html
  assets/
    styles.css

You forget to update the link in index.html. The browser still requests /styles.css, but the file is now at /assets/styles.css. This is a textbook example of file not found error examples in HTML linking caused by directory changes without matching link updates.

Example 3: Case sensitivity differences between Windows and Linux

On a Windows development machine, these two files are treated the same:

About.html
about.html

So you might casually write:

<a href="About.html">About</a>

The file on disk is actually about.html. On Windows, it still loads. But when you deploy to a Linux-based server (typical for Apache or Nginx), filenames are case-sensitive. The server looks for About.html, doesn’t find it, and returns a 404.

This is one of the best examples of a problem that only appears after deployment. It’s also a reminder that examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking are often environment-specific.

Example 4: Trailing slash vs. .html mismatch

You link to a page like this:

<a href="/blog">Blog</a>

But your actual file structure is:

/blog.html

Depending on your server configuration, /blog might not automatically map to /blog.html. The browser requests /blog, the server doesn’t find a matching route or file, and you get a 404.

The reverse also happens:

<a href="/blog.html">Blog</a>

But your site uses directory-style URLs and a router that expects /blog/. On static hosts like GitHub Pages or basic Apache setups, this mismatch is a frequent example of file not found error examples in HTML linking.

Example 5: Broken image paths in <img> tags

File not found errors aren’t just about navigation links. Images are just as vulnerable. Consider:

<img src="/images/logo.png" alt="Site logo">

But your actual structure is:

/assets/img/logo.png

The browser requests /images/logo.png, gets a 404, and you see the dreaded broken image icon. This is a very visible example of file not found error examples in HTML linking, and it often slips through because developers test with cached assets or local paths that differ from production.

Example 6: CDN and asset pipeline mismatches

Modern front-end builds often fingerprint assets for caching, generating filenames like:

app.93afc2.js
styles.a1b2c3.css

If your HTML still points to the old names:

<script src="/js/app.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/styles.css">

you’ll get 404s for both files in production. This is a more advanced example of file not found error examples in HTML linking, where the build system and the HTML template are out of sync.

In 2024–2025, with widespread use of bundlers like Vite, Webpack, and Parcel, this kind of mismatch is one of the most common production-only failure modes.

Example 7: Single-page app routes without server support

A React or Vue single-page app might use HTML like this:

<a href="/dashboard">Dashboard</a>

The front-end router (React Router, Vue Router, etc.) knows how to handle /dashboard after the initial page load. But if a user refreshes the page or lands directly on /dashboard, the server tries to find a physical /dashboard file or folder. If it’s not configured to serve index.html for all routes, the user gets a 404.

This is a modern example of file not found error examples in HTML linking that has nothing to do with typos and everything to do with server configuration.

Example 8: External links to moved or removed content

Not all broken links are your fault. You might have:

<a href="https://example.com/docs/v1/guide.html">Old Guide</a>

Later, that external site reorganizes its docs to https://example.com/docs/v2/guide.html. Your HTML never changes, so users get a 404 on the external site.

This is a reminder that the best examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking aren’t just internal. External dependencies age, and links rot over time. Studies on link rot in academic and government content (for example, research summarized by the U.S. National Library of Medicine at NIH) show that a significant share of links break within a few years.

Why these HTML linking errors keep happening in 2024–2025

The patterns above aren’t new, but a few 2024–2025 trends make them more frequent:

• Static hosting platforms like Netlify, Vercel, and GitHub Pages encourage clean URLs (/about/) while developers still think in terms of files (about.html). That mismatch is fertile ground for subtle 404s.
• Front-end frameworks generate complex build outputs; humans rarely see the final filenames, so any manual HTML reference is a risk.
• Content management systems and headless CMS setups let non-technical editors rename slugs and paths, often without automated redirect rules.
• Security practices increasingly restrict directory indexing and auto-redirect behavior on servers, so “almost right” URLs are more likely to fail hard instead of silently correcting.

Put simply: there are more moving parts between your HTML and the final URL than ever, which means more opportunities for examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking.

How to diagnose HTML file not found errors quickly

When a link breaks, you don’t want to guess. You want a repeatable process.

Step 1: Watch the browser’s Network panel

Open DevTools, click the broken link or reload the page, and watch for:

• Status code 404 (Not Found) for the requested resource.
• The exact URL the browser is requesting.

This URL is your ground truth. Many examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking come down to the fact that what you think the browser is requesting is not what it’s actually requesting.

Authoritative references like the MDN Web Docs HTTP status code guide are worth bookmarking to keep status codes straight.

Step 2: Compare requested URL to your actual file structure

Once you know the requested URL, check:

• Does that path exist on disk (for static sites)?
• Does your server or framework define a route for that path (for dynamic sites and SPAs)?

You’re looking for mismatches in:

• Folder names (/img/ vs /images/)
• File extensions (.html vs no extension)
• Case (About.html vs about.html)

Nearly all the best examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking can be diagnosed by this simple comparison.

Step 3: Check deployment and build configuration

If everything looks correct locally but breaks in production:

• Confirm that the file is actually included in the build output.
• Check that your build tool isn’t rewriting or fingerprinting filenames in ways your HTML doesn’t expect.
• For single-page apps, verify that your host is configured to route unknown paths to index.html.

Preventing file not found errors in HTML links

You can’t stop every 404, but you can dramatically reduce them.

Use relative paths thoughtfully

When linking between pages in the same site, prefer relative paths that match your folder structure:

<!-- From /blog/index.html to /blog/post.html -->
<a href="post.html">Read more</a>

Overusing absolute paths (/blog/post.html) can make refactoring harder; underusing them can cause confusion when you move files. The best examples of stable HTML projects strike a balance and document the convention in their README.

Automate link checking

There’s no reason to manually click every link anymore. Static site generators and CI pipelines can run link checkers that crawl your HTML and report 404s before deployment.

Even simple tools that behave like the classic linkchecker utilities can catch most examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking long before a user sees them.

Add server-side fallbacks and redirects

On the server side, you can:

• Configure a default document (index.html) for directory-style URLs.
• Add redirects when URLs change (/about → /about-us).
• Serve a custom 404 page that guides users back to working content.

Government and public-facing sites often publish accessibility and usability guidelines that recommend user-friendly 404 pages; for instance, the U.S. General Services Administration regularly discusses better practices for federal websites, including handling broken links.

Document your URL strategy

A boring but effective habit: write down how URLs are structured.

• Are you using trailing slashes or not?
• Are filenames lowercase only?
• Do you allow editors to change slugs freely, or are they locked after publish?

Clear conventions dramatically reduce the number of messy examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking that appear months after launch.

FAQ: common questions about HTML file not found errors

What are some common examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking?

Common examples include:

• Linking to about.html when the file is actually about-us.html.
• Using /images/logo.png when the real path is /assets/img/logo.png.
• Relying on About.html on Windows and discovering about.html fails on Linux.
• Linking to /blog while only blog.html exists, or vice versa.
• Pointing to old CDN or build artifact names after a new deployment.

All of these share the same root cause: the URL in your HTML doesn’t match any real file or route on the server.

Can you give an example of debugging a 404 from an <img> tag?

Suppose your HTML says:

<img src="/images/team.jpg" alt="Our team">

In DevTools, the Network panel shows a 404 for /images/team.jpg. You inspect your project and find the file at /assets/images/team.jpg. Updating the HTML to:

<img src="/assets/images/team.jpg" alt="Our team">

fixes the issue. That’s a straightforward example of file not found error examples in HTML linking where the path in the tag didn’t reflect the actual folder structure.

How do I avoid broken links when renaming pages?

Treat URL changes like API changes:

• Update all internal HTML references when renaming a file.
• Add server-side redirects from the old URL to the new one.
• Run an automated link checker in your CI pipeline.

This is especially important for public-facing sites, where external sites may have bookmarked the old URL. Research on link rot in scholarly and government content (see resources via Harvard University’s library guides) shows how quickly unmaintained links become dead ends.

Are 404s always bad?

No. A 404 is the correct response when a resource genuinely doesn’t exist. The problem is when a 404 appears because of a mistake in your HTML linking or configuration. Your goal isn’t to eliminate every 404 from your logs, but to avoid unintentional examples of file not found error examples in HTML linking that frustrate users.

Broken links are rarely dramatic. They’re small, quiet failures that chip away at trust and usability. By paying attention to these real examples, watching the exact URLs your HTML generates, and adding a bit of automation, you can turn file not found errors from a recurring headache into an occasional, easily explained blip.