What is a 404 page anyway?
A 404 page is always displayed when a visitor calls up a URL that does not exist on your website, e.g., because they have clicked on an old link. Instead of a blank page or a technical error message, the user receives a so-called "Error 404: Page not found" message.
Why is a good 404 page so important?
If your 404 page only says "Page not found", visitors will quickly leave. A well-thought-out error page, on the other hand, helps them to stay on your site and perhaps even discover something else.
This is what our standard 404 page looks like:
🎬 At the end of the article, you'll find our latest video tutorial!
Create a 404 page: Step by step
Step 1: Create a new page
Create a new subpage to serve as an error page. Name it e.g. "404" or "Page not found".
Step 2: Design content
What should be on your 404 page? These elements are useful:
A clear error message, e.g., "Sorry, this page could not be found.", or with a touch of personality, e.g., a witty sentence.
A brief explanation of why the error may have occurred (e.g., an outdated link).
Links to helpful pages, e.g., the homepage, the contact form, or popular categories
A contact form or link to social media so that the error can be reported.
Here is an example of what your 404 page could look like:
💡Tip: The tonality of the 404 page is crucial. Show compassion, humor, or your brand, whatever fits your style.
Step 3: Customize the design
The 404 page should have the same design as the rest of your website, i.e., with your logo, colors, fonts, etc. This will maintain your brand identity.
Please publish the page afterward.
Step 4: Set as 404 page in the project settings
So that your website knows where it should redirect to if a link leads nowhere, you must define your new 404 page as the default error page in the website settings.
Go to your "Settings" → "General" → "404 page" and select the page you have created.
Step 5: The final result
Once you have set everything up, you can test the 404 page. To do this, call up an incorrect URL on your domain (e.g., yourwebsite.com/something) and check whether your new page appears.
Video-Tutorial
For a clearer overview of the process, you can also watch our video tutorial below:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Should a 404 page be indexed?
Should a 404 page be indexed?
No. As a rule, the 404 page should not be indexed by search engines. You can deactivate "Allow indexing of this page" in the page settings.
How often do visitors actually see a 404 page?
How often do visitors actually see a 404 page?
This depends heavily on the maintenance of your website. For well-maintained websites, it is rarely or never the case. But it can happen more frequently on larger sites with many old links. Regular checking helps.
How can I avoid 404 errors?
How can I avoid 404 errors?
Here are a few tips:
Use short, simple URLs to avoid typos
Check external links regularly
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