How to prevent Next.js from caching 404 responses?

[tietoville]

Summary

We're using Next.js 15 with the App Router and have run into a caching issue related to dynamic routes, and maybe ISR.

On certain dynamic routes, like /places/[id] we use:
export const revalidate = 300; export const dynamic = 'force-static';
Also, on layout levels we use generateStaticParams().

Each place page fetches data from our internal API. Occasionally, this API is temporarily down (e.g., for maintenance). When that happens:

• Fetching the essential page data fails.
• We call notFound() .
• Next.js returns a 404 page with a 404 status — which then gets cached.

Even after the API is back up:

• The page content is correctly regenerated (after the revalidation window?).
• But the HTTP status remains 404, until we manually redeploy the app.
• This results in a mismatch: users see the correct content, but the response still has a 404 status — which breaks SEO.

Currently we work around this problem by manually redeploying the app. I have just today started to investigate this issue, and I've understood there could be an alternate workaround using the revalidatePath(). However, we would prefer just not to cache the 404 responses. Is that possible?

Additional information

No response

Example

No response

[icyJoseph]

I am rushing this answer, but if you throw an error, while rendering, instead of notFound, doesn't that tell Next.js, to preserve the older version of your page?

• https://nextjs.org/docs/app/guides/incremental-static-regeneration#handling-uncaught-exceptions

Because, like, semantically, what you are doing is saying, well this article/item, is no longer available, rather than, revalidation failed.

[tietoville]

Yes, throwing an error, instead of using notFound() could be the solution in this particular case. That is something that has been considered. There might be an issue making a distinction between a 404 caused by a maintenance and a real not found case.

However, there can be similar situations, for example where a user is served the 404 page, because a page does not exist. Then, later that page becomes available but is served with 404 status code, because it is cached for some reason.

I do appreciate your comment, but I really would like to know how prevent Next.js from 404 responses, or is that even possible? Why the 404s are even cached by default? I think I would be happy also if I learned that it is not possible to prevent Next.js caching the 404s. 😁

[cavez86]

Hi @tietoville

I tried last canary version and is working correctly, could be fixed by #79512 (?)