When a user comes across your site's 404 File Not Found error page, it is most likely not what they were looking for. Here, you have the opportunity to turn a dead end into a resource that can help your visitor find whatever they were looking for.
If you were going to create the perfect 404 File Not Found error page, what would it do? What are the most helpful features of effective 404 File Not Found error pages? Are there any strong examples out there?
A 404 page is a landing page that tells your site viewers the requested page is unavailable or, in some cases, doesn't exist. A 404 error tells users the page cannot be accessed – and it can be a major problem. When users can't access a page, they can't find the information they need.
The HTTP 404 Not Found response status code indicates that the server cannot find the requested resource. Links that lead to a 404 page are often called broken or dead links and can be subject to link rot. A 404 status code only indicates that the resource is missing: not whether the absence is temporary or permanent.
#The Most Common Error Pages The error pages come from client and server errors — the 4xx and 5xx status code classes. The most common ones are 401, 403, 404, 500, 502, 503, and 504 errors.
One of the most common errors on the web — so common it's slipped into non-internet slang — is the 404 error. Also known by its longer name, "404 Page Not Found," this is an error that indicates that the page or resource you're looking for can't be found. This usually means that it's been deleted or moved.
I would just make it lightweight and fast loading as possible, with prominent links to a site map and the home page. As soon as I realize I've hit a 404, I usually dive for the back button, or just try to hit the home page of the site if I'm interested enough in whatever it is I was looking for. I almost never actually read what was on the 404 page. Maybe not a good habit, but I bet most site visitors are about as impatient as I am.
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