Creating a 404 page

You can create a special page for visitors who arrive at a page that does not exist. It appears whenever the requested page cannot be found. We call this a 404 page, after the server error code for a missing page.

Who reaches this page?

You may occasionally remove a page from your website. Other websites that link to it will usually keep their existing links, which now point to a deleted page. Google is one important example. Although Google tries to remove these pages from its index, links to pages that no longer exist are still very common.

Why create a 404 page?

Visitors who reach a missing page will soon leave unless you help them find what they came for. One simple approach is to direct them to your homepage. A more effective option is to offer a search feature on the 404 page, showing possible matches for the information they need.

How do I set this up?

Creating a 404 page is straightforward. Create a new page and name it “404”. Add a clear, friendly message and, if possible, a way to reach the information the visitor wanted.

You can use a different name for the 404 page by changing the website configuration.

If you do not yet have a 404 page, we strongly recommend creating one. You can also ask us to create it for you. This is usually free, depending on your website package.

Please note: this configuration is available from version 4.2.62 of the Base4 system. If you cannot find the setting, contact us. We may be able to configure it for you or update the system to make the feature available.