How to Create a Custom 404 Page and Set Up Redirection
A 404 error page appears when a user tries to open a page that doesn’t exist on your website. Instead of showing a boring “Page Not Found” message, you can create a custom 404 redirection that guides users back to useful pages. This helps improve user experience, reduce bounce rate, and keeps visitors on your website longer.
What Is a Custom 404 Redirection?
A custom 404 redirection means you’re sending users from a broken or missing URL to a helpful page — such as your homepage, a category page, or a specially designed 404 page.
This prevents users from landing on a dead end and encourages them to continue browsing.
Why Is Custom 404 Redirection Important?
Setting up a custom 404 redirection is useful for:
✔ Saving lost traffic
Instead of visitors leaving immediately, they get redirected to a useful page.
✔ Reducing bounce rate
A helpful redirect keeps users engaged on your site.
✔ Improving SEO health
Search engines treat broken pages as poor site quality. Redirecting them improves crawlability.
✔ Offering a better user experience
A friendly message or redirect helps users find what they want easily.
When Should You Use a 404 Redirect?
Create or use a custom 404 redirect when:
- A page is deleted
- A URL is changed
- Someone types the wrong URL
- You move content to a new location
- Old or outdated content is removed
How to Set Up Custom 404 Redirection
1. Using .htaccess (For Apache Websites)
Add this line to your .htaccess file:
Option A — Redirect all missing pages to a custom 404 page
ErrorDocument 404 /404.html
This loads your custom-designed 404 page when a page is not found.
Option B — Redirect missing pages to homepage
(Not recommended for SEO unless necessary)
ErrorDocument 404 /index.html
2. Using cPanel (Beginner-Friendly)
- Login to cPanel
- Go to Advanced → Error Pages
- Select 404
- Create your custom message or upload your custom 404 page
- Save
This is the easiest non-technical method.
3. Using WordPress Plugins
If you use WordPress, you can create a custom 404 page or redirect using:
- Rank Math
- Yoast SEO Premium
- Redirection Plugin
- 404page Plugin
Example using Rank Math:
- Go to Rank Math → General Settings
- Open 404 Monitor
- Enable it
- Create your custom 404 redirection
- Choose the page you want to redirect users to
4. Using Nginx Server
Add this inside your server block:
error_page 404 /404.html;
location = /404.html {
internal;
}
This will load a custom 404 page when a user hits a missing URL.
Best Practices for Custom 404 Pages
To make your 404 helpful:
- Add a search bar
- Add a friendly message (“Oops! Page not found”)
- Include links to top pages
- Include your menu and footer
- Keep the design simple and clean
- Avoid redirect loops