Why this screen appears instead of a page
A page not found screen is the server's answer when the address you requested does not match a page on this site. It is a 404 response, which means the address is wrong, retired, misspelled or never existed; the rest of the site is still working. The screen keeps the address you typed visible so you can see the typo. Nothing was deleted because of your visit, and no order or upload was lost. Read the address, then choose one of the routes below rather than editing the URL by guesswork.
Where this screen sends you next
This translation screen offers three routes, and between them they cover almost every failed link. Site search takes a document name, a country or an office and returns the closest pages. The sitemap groups every section by document type, language and service, which suits a visitor who wants to browse rather than query. The help centre holds the longer answers and the form that reaches a person. Each route is one click from here, and each one keeps the address you arrived with so you do not have to retype it. Start with the route that matches what you already know.
Three limits this screen accepts
First, it cannot tell you where a retired page went; old addresses are not redirected automatically unless a rule was written for them. Second, it cannot search the open web, only this site. Third, it cannot take a document, a payment or a request, because a missing address is not a submission channel. If you need one of those, use the help centre. These limits are deliberate: a 404 screen that guesses at a destination sends visitors to the wrong document page and wastes more time than it saves.
Who lands here, and what each visitor should do
The largest group is visitors following an old bookmark or an out-of-date link in an email. The second is visitors who typed a plausible address, such as a document name with no section in front of it. The third is visitors following a link from another site that was written before a section moved. The fourth is automated crawlers checking whether a URL still resolves. If you are in the first three groups, use site search; if a link on another site is broken, report it and we will ask the owner to update it.
What the server records when a link fails
The request is written to the access log with the time, the requested path and the response code. The log does not store what you typed into any form, because this screen has no form. Log entries are kept for thirty days to find broken links and are then removed by the rotation job. Addresses are not joined to accounts and are not used for advertising. If you report a broken link, the path you send is copied into a ticket; the ticket is closed once the link is fixed or the page is confirmed retired.
What to include when you report a broken link
When you report this service, send the full address from the browser bar, including everything after the slash. Add the page you came from and the link text you clicked, because a wrong label is often the real fault. Say what you expected to find, in your own words: a birth certificate page, a price list, a language list. If the link came in an email, forward the email rather than retyping the address, since retyping introduces the same typo that caused the failure. A screenshot helps when the address is long or contains encoded characters.
What a reply to your report contains
You get one of three answers. If the page moved, the reply gives the new address and confirms whether the old one will redirect. If the page was retired, the reply names the closest current page and says why the old one was removed. If the address never existed, the reply says so and points to the section that covers the topic. Each answer names the person who checked it and the date. A reply that only says the link is fixed, without the address, is not a complete answer; ask again if that is all you receive.
What you do while the report is open
You do not need to wait. Use site search or the sitemap to reach the page you wanted; a broken link rarely blocks the work itself. If you were about to send a document, send it through the normal upload page once you find it, not through the report. Keep the report number if one was issued, and add a note to the same ticket rather than opening a second one. If the target page is urgent, say so in the first message and include the office and the date you are working towards.
Five steps from a failed link to the right page
Step one: read the address in the bar and check for a missing section, a trailing character or a capital letter. Step two: run the same words through site search and confirm which result matches your document. Step three: if the result is close but not exact, open the sitemap section for that document type and compare the labels. Step four: if nothing matches, send the report with the address and the link text. Step five: use the reply to reach the page, then bookmark the working address instead of the old one.
Page not found questions
Was my file lost? No. This screen never received a file, because a missing address cannot accept an upload. Will the old address redirect? Only if a rule was written for it. The reply to your report says whether one exists. Why does the address look correct? Small differences matter: a hyphen, a trailing slash or a capital letter can change the result. Can I search from here? Yes, site search is one click away and keeps the address you arrived with. Should I report every broken link? Report the ones you need. Repeated reports of the same path are merged into one ticket. Send the document, the language pair and the name of the receiving office so the scope can be confirmed before work starts. If the file has a seal, a second side or a handwritten note, include it with the pages you send for review. A checklist from the receiving office is more useful than a general description of the document.
