February 13, 2025

A “404 error” web page is a necessary a part of any web site. It informs your customers the web page they requested had been moved or modified. Do you’ll want to take note of your 404 web page and provides it some love? Completely sure! On this submit, we’ll undergo the dos and don’ts of a 404 web page and allow you to get extra worth out of it.

What’s a 404 web page, and why do we’d like it?

 A 404 web page, also referred to as an “error web page”, or “web page not discovered” web page, is the content material your guests see after they land on a web page that doesn’t exist.

The quantity 404 is the standing response code for that web page. The 404 response signifies that your customer’s browser might talk along with your net server, however the server couldn’t discover what was requested.

There are numerous the explanation why a requested web page can’t be discovered. It could be that:

  • The web page was deleted.
  • There are typos within the URL.
  • The permalink construction has modified.
  • The area identify was modified.

Regardless of the causes, do not forget that it’s in all probability your fault and never your customers’ fault. So preserve that in thoughts and create content material based mostly on that assumption.

It’s value noting that, generally sure pages have to go down briefly. In that case, it’s significantly better to serve a 503 Service Unavailable message than serve a 404 error not discovered.

What to incorporate in your 404 web page (the Dos)

When customers click on on a hyperlink, they count on to land on a web page that solutions their questions or offers them the mandatory data. For no matter motive, the web page they land on returns a 404 message. In that case, what ought to they do subsequent? 

In case you don’t assist your customers take the following step after they land on a 404 web page, they may nonetheless browse your website for data. However nothing is stopping them from leaving and searching different web sites. In that case, you’re not offering customers with what they want whereas dropping visitors to your competitors.

A greater method to make the most of your 404 web page is to assist customers navigate to different helpful pages in your website. There are numerous methods to go about that. As an illustration, you would:

  • Embody a search bar so customers can shortly seek for different data.
  • Embody a button that takes customers to the homepage.
  • Embody hyperlinks to different essential/fashionable sections in your web site.
  • Embody hyperlinks to fashionable product or class pages.
  • Information them to learn your fashionable or most up-to-date weblog posts.

As for the error message, make it completely clear that you may’t discover the requested web page. A easy “We might have deleted or moved this web page” must be positive.

Examples of good 404 pages

Beneath are examples of fine 404 pages. These pages present additional worth — or enjoyment! — to guests by together with choices to assist them navigate the web site, whether or not by way of the search bar, store web page hyperlinks, or fashionable weblog posts.

Ebay.com’s 404 web page
Lego’s 404 web page continues to be superior
Our personal 404 web page

The worth of your 404 web page

Many entrepreneurs and web site homeowners don’t see the worth within the 404 web page, which shouldn’t be the case. You probably have an internet site, you wish to preserve your guests in your website. You need them to interact along with your content material, browse different pages or take a look at your affords. But when they land on an error web page with nothing to level them in the precise path, they’ll almost definitely flip again and depart.

That’s why you’ll want to assist guests navigate your website after they land on a 404 web page. By doing so, your 404 web page might assist to:

  • Cut back bounce fee and preserve folks in your website longer;
  • Have interaction your guests with different content material or affords in your website;
  • Make it simpler for guests to navigate your website;
  • Preserve a constant branding expertise whereas increase your model picture.

Content material administration programs like WordPress or your net server embody a default 404 error message web page. However these default pages are ugly and really naked bone. There’s nothing there moreover the error message, not even traces of your branding. That’s why you’ll want to customise your 404 web page, which could be simply executed by way of plugins for those who’re a newbie. A fast search on WordPress.org offers you a lot choices.

The default 404 web page that WordPress creates

What to not do on a 404 web page (the Don’ts)

Many web sites do a 301 redirect from a 404 web page to the homepage, which isn’t observe. What you’re doing is placing folks on a prepare they didn’t select themselves. Why ship them to London in the event that they wish to go to Paris? If a customer desires to discover a explicit web page in your web site, please give them that web page or an evidence of why you may’t.

Being humorous is an efficient factor. However with regards to a 404 web page, we’d as a substitute create an precise web page that’s useful to customers as a substitute of a humorous one that gives no worth. Enjoyable is nice, and it might match properly along with your model picture. However you’ll want to make it work. Please don’t put an image of a giraffe licking the display screen and assume your customer will like your web site no matter not discovering what they need. Assist them get again on observe. Or level them to your homepage to begin over once more (however don’t redirect them!).

One other factor we strongly counsel towards will not be customizing your 404 web page in any respect. As talked about above, the default 404 web page that WordPress or your net server contains is lackluster. It doesn’t present any additional worth to your guests. That’s not what you need! So ensure that your web site has a customized 404 web page, and ensure it helps guests navigate your website one way or the other.

Examples of 404 pages that may be higher

Beneath are examples of 404 pages we predict can do higher, whether or not by together with a search bar, hyperlinks to fashionable pages or classes, or only a higher copy for the “error not discovered” message itself.

IMDB’s 404 web page
South Park’s 404 web page

404 pages and affect on website positioning

It’s value noting that having some 404 errors on an internet site will not be essentially a trigger for concern. It’s frequent for web sites to have damaged hyperlinks or pages which might be eliminated or renamed over time. Google additionally said that having some 404 pages doesn’t damage your general web site rating. Nonetheless, if a good portion of your net pages returns 404 errors, this might point out extra vital structural points which will have an effect on website positioning.

You may carefully monitor your 404 pages through the use of instruments akin to Google Search Console or Screaming Frog. Make certain to observe and repair 404 errors usually. That helps guarantee your web site is correctly crawled and listed by Google and should assist enhance your general website positioning efficiency.

It’s additionally important to make sure that any inner hyperlinks to a lacking web page are up to date to level to related content material in your website. Doing so ensures that your customers and search engines like google and yahoo are directed to essentially the most related pages. It additionally prevents them from encountering extra 404 errors.

Why do you assume your 404 Not Discovered web page is nice?

Or maybe you might have some nice examples, good or dangerous. We’d like to see these, so please drop a hyperlink within the feedback!

Learn extra: Web site upkeep: 404 error pages »