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
Create a 404-Page: Step by step
Step 1: Create 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A brief explanation of why the error may have occurred (e.g. outdated link).
Links to helpful pages, e.g: To the homepage, to the contact form or to 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 afterwards.
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.
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 “Indexing the website” in the general 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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