Improving Your WordPress 404 Page Template: Why and How?
Most WordPress themes, including the default ones, provide a basic 404 template, as shown in the image below for Twenty Twenty-Two.
However, these templates are often plain and lack content from your site, leading to a higher bounce rate when users land on the 404 page. This can negatively impact your WordPress SEO and search engine rankings.
Therefore, creating a custom 404 page with personalized content and branding can be beneficial. For example, WPBeginner’s 404 page includes a custom image and a message inviting visitors to contact them for assistance. It also displays links to social media profiles and information about an ebook download or popular products from their online store. By providing value to visitors, such custom pages can increase pageviews and decrease bounce rates.
It is important to note that while designing an engaging 404 page is helpful, fixing any 404 errors is crucial. It is advisable to track 404 pages and redirect them.
To improve your 404 page template in WordPress, we provide both video and written instructions in this tutorial.
Method 1: Creation of Custom 404 Page in WordPress Without Code (Recommended)
This method advocates the usage of SeedProd page builder plugin to enhance the 404 error page in WordPress. This plugin provides professionally designed templates that can be conveniently personalized through a drag-and-drop interface, obviating the need for coding expertise. The process involves installing and activating the plugin, and validating the license key. Subsequently, the user can opt for a template and commence personalizing it via the addition or alteration of blocks and sections. To render the page more functional, the user can incorporate a navigation menu, popular posts list, or contact form to report issues. For automatic generation of popular posts list, a shortcode can be added to the SeedProd page builder with the aid of MonsterInsights plugin.
Method 2. Creating a Custom 404 Page in WordPress by Adding Code
If you prefer not to use a page builder plugin, you can create a custom 404 page with code. However, note that errors in your code can cause WordPress errors or break your site. This method is not recommended for beginners, and it’s advisable to back up your site before proceeding.
To begin, you need an FTP client such as FileZilla, or you can use your WordPress hosting provider’s file manager. If you’re new to FTP, see our guide on how to connect to your site using FTP.
After connecting to the server, go to /wp-content/themes/ and open the folder for your current WordPress theme. If the folder already has a 404.php file, open it in a text editor like Notepad. If your theme doesn’t have a 404.php file, create one and open it in a text editor.
You can now design a custom 404 page with code. For instance, you can display popular, commented, recent, or random posts on the page. To achieve this, you can use plugins like WordPress Popular Posts or add template tags to your 404.php file. Alternatively, you can use plugins like Compact Archives to organize your content into monthly archives.
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