How to customize your blogs 404 Error Page
ADVERTISEMENTSMany bloggers customize and make all their pages attractive except for the 404 error page. It is important that you fill that page with information that could help your blog’s visitors who reach there by mispelling your URL or for some other reason.
This is what I have in my 404 Error page
I am sorry, but the page you requested could not be found. Please make sure that you spelled the URL correctly. You could try searching for the page using the search bar located on the header.
You could also try looking for the page in the Archives. You can find the Latest and Most Popular articles listed out in the sidebar.
You could then list out the Latest and Most Popular articles. The most popular articles can be listed out with the Popularity Contest WordPress Plugin.
You may use this code to list out your Latest posts
Latest
You may also list out your Categories and Monthly Archives on the page.
Since I already had the Latest, Most Popular, Categories and Monthly Archives on my sidebar, I listed out some of my Top Posts on the page.
There is a WordPress Plugin that can list out the related posts for your 404 error page. Unfortunately the plugin does not work for me. It may be because I am using the Related Posts WordPress Plugin. Anyways let me know if you can get the plugin to work on your blog.
Check out my 404 page here. You can try out different things and make your blog’s 404 Error page as friendly as possible.
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Posted on June 23rd, 2006 | Category: Blogging, Tutorials |
Shivaranjan
June 23, 2006 at 9:08 pm
That’s a lovely idea john…..
Cory
June 24, 2006 at 2:14 am
yea, ill add that to my next redesign
Madhur kapoor
June 24, 2006 at 3:37 am
Great idea John ……..
Thilak
June 24, 2006 at 2:22 pm
Yeah, I did some experiments with this earlier. I already have it
johntp
June 24, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Most of the K2 blogs I come across have only ‘Error 404- Not Found’ in their 404 page. This is of no help to readers who reach there my mispelling your URL’s.
Thilak
June 24, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Yes, Your Right from that point of view. Actually most of the novice bloggers use K2 because it has the power as well as simplicity in it. And this post will help them a lot.
Hey, why don’t you consider releasing a black varient of TechnoBlue, It would look great with a blackish tint.
johntp
June 24, 2006 at 9:17 pm
Yes, I hope readers find this article useful. BTW, you have to add all the stuff you want to show up on the 404 Error page on the ‘404.php’ file.
sourcer
December 2, 2006 at 2:17 am
its a great idea but any changes i do to the code nothing will appear on my 404 page
Enblogopedia
December 3, 2006 at 3:00 am
why sourcer?!
what kind of changes did u made?
and do you have a separate php file for 404 error or it`s included in the index file?!
sourcer
December 4, 2006 at 12:19 am
its included in index, i tried to change the error message, i tried to add links to popular posts, but nothing :((
sourcer
December 4, 2006 at 12:31 am
Uhh, finally managed to change my 404 page
http://www.sourcer.org/afgdfh
It’s strange that John is blogging about this but he hasn’t changed his 404 page
Why John ?
JohnTP
December 4, 2006 at 12:38 am
sourcer- I had done this in my older theme, but forgot to do it my new theme. Thanks for reminding. I have added it in my long list of things to do
Enblogopedia
December 4, 2006 at 2:36 am
well sourcer good for you..
actually you remembered me to create a 404 page
yeah john you are right!
i just started 2 weeks ago and the work wouldn’t end!