How to Create 404 Error Page in WordPress

There is no doubt that most people who’ve used the internet have at some point for the 404 Page Not Found error. Most customers do get annoyed by this and it can cost your business a lot. But that doesn’t have to be the case. If you know there are broken links or expired links, you can use a 301 redirect to redirect those who enter that page.

However, there are times when the 404 error is not your fault. This could be because a third-party website has entered the link to your website incorrectly or the customer has entered the wrong address in the browser. When this happens, you can’t prevent the 404 error.

The standard 404 error is rather basic and won’t do much for your website. However, you can change this by editing the 404 error page and getting something more unique and converting on your website.

How to Create a Customized 404 Error Page in WordPress

Some of the best WordPress theme developers know there is great importance for you to get a customized 404 error page. For this, you might need to search your customize section on the theme. There might be an option there to find the 404 page. Within this, you can then add text, images and other elements to make your basic 404 error page more exciting and look more user-friendly.

Otherwise, you might need to create your error page from scratch. To do this you can create a page like you would any other page. Remember to apologize for the page not being found but then give tips on how the user might find the content they’re looking for.

You can also include links to your website’s top-performing blog posts, pages, products, media and more. Try to add a nice, branded, image to your website. Then you need to connect the page that you’ve designed to the 404 error situation, this is where you need to access the .htaccess File.

Try to save your 404 page as 404.php.

For the best 404 pages, you can use a plugin like Elementor. This allows you to build a professional page that can improve conversion rates and reduce bounce rates.

How to Change the .htaccess File

The .htaccess file is how your website knows what page to display when a user hasn’t entered a valid pathway (address) on your website. Find the .htaccess on your website’s FTP folders it is often within your website’s root folder. Open up the document and then ensure that your page is the one that is referenced.

The code for this can look like this:

ErrorDocument 404 /index.php?error=404

This is where your /index.php is changed to the correct address for your 404 error.

Final Word: How to Create 404 Error Page in WordPress

If you want to create a 404 error page in WordPress, then you can create a page and then change the .htaccess details to point anyone who has entered an invalid URL on your website to the 404 page. Many elements make a great 404 page. You can use a page builder to make it look really good or you can customize the one that comes with your theme. Or you can use a 404 page builder, like this one here.