How to Customize an Error Page

A 404 error page may frustrate users.

Creating a custom 404 error page for your website will keep visitors from leaving, if they stumble upon a broken link or encounter an unexpected error. Web servers generate 404 error pages. They are given the number 404 to designate the type of error that occurs when a Web browser tries to access a page that doesn't exist. Crafting a custom 404 error page may help users return to a working page or search for a page that may have moved.

Things You'll Need

• Text editor
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client
• Apache Web server

Instructions

Redirect Users

1. Open a text editor and create a new file. Name it ".htaccess."

2. Type the following phrase into the document and remove the quotation marks: "ErrorDocument 404 /404.html"

3. Save the document as .htaccess and use the FTP client to upload the file into the website's main directory. Depending on the FTP client, the file may disappear when uploaded.

Create Page

1. Open the text editor and save a new file. Name it "404.html."

2. Type your custom error message into the new file. Include a link to a search engine and the site's homepage for easy navigation.

3. Upload 404.html to your site's main directory using the FTP client.

References

• Apache: Custom Error Responses