Design DuckDuckGo Browser-ready 404 error page templates

11 Best Practices for Designing 404 Pages Explain what happened. The worst way to present a 404 page is to offer no explanation. Make users a smile. Put some effort into the copy. Add on-point visuals. Guide users to your best content. Make the CTA stand out. Provide a search input. Represent your brand.

While redirecting all 404 pages to the homepage may seem like a quick and simple solution, it can result in a poor user experience and potentially harm your search engine rankings. Instead, focus on tracking 404s, redirecting broken links individually to their appropriate destinations.

Redirect 404 to homepage using . htaccess ErrorDocument: This is the directive that tells the server youʼre defining a custom error page. 404: Specifies the HTTP status code for which youʼre customizing the error page (in this case, a 404 error). /: The forward slash represents the homepage of your website.

Simple language So donʼt say things like: HTTP Error 404: Resource Not Found. Instead as per the examples above write your error message in simple, conversational language. That way, you tell users whatʼs gone wrong and what they can do about it in terms theyʼll definitely understand.

Use humor or creative design Including a joke lets users know that the site still exists; thereʼs just a problem at the moment. A little humor can also make the process feel less frustrating. In fact, you have probably run into 404 pages with light humor at some point, and you might have even smiled.

8 tips for fixing 404 errors as a web user Refresh the page. You may receive a 404 error because the page didnʼt load properly. Check the URL. Use a search engine. Try to access the webpage from a different device. Clear your cache and delete cookies. Create a 404 page. Create a redirect. Correct the link.

A 404 error page should always include the following: A clear message that lets visitors know that the requested page doesnʼt exist. A call to action (CTA) that keeps users on your site or directs them where you want them to go.

In computer network communications, the HTTP 404, 404 not found, 404, 404 error, page not found, or file not found error message is a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) standard response code, to indicate that the browser was able to communicate with a given server, but the server could not find what was requested.

Avoid clutter If youʼre unsure of what belongs on your 404 error page, concise, apologetic copy and a search input are more than enough to help users move forward. Itʼs certainly not a good practice to leave users without an exit from a 404 page, but itʼs just as bad to overwhelm them with a handful of links.

How to Create a Custom 404 Error Page Step 1: Design the Page. At the start of your design process, you need to decide how funny and creative you want your custom 404 page to be. Step 2: Configure the Server. Step 3: Test Your Configuration. Step 4: Track 404 Sessions in Google Analytics.