Customizing 404 Page Not Found

Customizing 404 Page Not Found


404 Page Not Found is displayed to the users if they entered the incorrect page address or went to an already non-existent one. With the help of a well-designed 404 page, you can offer your visitors the option of further interaction with your site and provide the best user experience.

On 404 Page Not Found, you can specify helpful information to your visitors, and put down the essential links so that users can return to the main page of the site and find what they are looking for. Thus, the potential customers will not leave your site in case any error occurs.


Page 404 is useful not only for potential customers on your site but also for the search engines. Default 404 pages don't allow users to go back to your website, thereby reducing its position in organic search. That's why it's recommended to create a custom 404 Page Not Found.


Tip: you can find more detailed information about the 404 error in Google Search Console Help Center.

Customizing 404 Page Not Found

By default, when your site visitors land on a non-existent page, they see the following:



This page remains the same for all SiteCliq sites. However, you can customize it to fit your particular site style.


1. For that, click on the pages menu on the top panel of the editor (1);


2. Click on Add new page (2);


3. Name it (3);


4. Click Done (4);




5. Once you've added the new page, customize it according to your own needs. We recommend sticking to the overall design of your site — this way, you will help the user understand that one is still on your site. The page's design must not confuse the visitors to think they landed on a different website. However, you can still use your creative ideas to attract the attention of the viewers.


Tip: you can find some inspiration for your future 404 Page Not Found in the article with 22 Best Examples in our blog.

Besides, the message on this page should be clear and understandable. Consider using the friendly and inviting language, but don't forget to include a set of links to popular pages on your site and try to tempt a lost visitor to continue browsing, or add a contact/ social information about your company. We recommend putting the button that redirects users to the homepage, so the visitors can find what they are looking for.


6. After you've customized the page, change its URL to 404. For that, open the page Settings, navigate to the General tab and enter 404 in the URL field, then click Done:

7. Publish the site for the changes to appear live.

Done! Test how this page works by going to a non-existent site page.


Note: you can redirect your users from any outdated URLs on your site to the new page by using redirects. For more detailed information, check the article Setting Redirects.



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