Customize the 404 error page for my custom domain

• 

  cryptosmith · Member · Oct 22, 2014 at 2:50 pm

  • Copy link
  • Add topic to favorites

  Is there a way to create a custom 404 Error page? I am migrating a web site and WP.com won’t let me replicate a lot of my old path names, even though I bought a custom domain. I’d like to at least be able to give some guidance on the 404 Page to a newly-lost visitor.

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

• 

  amightywp · Member · Oct 22, 2014 at 8:46 pm

  • Copy link

  Hi there,

  I’m afraid that we do not have any way to create custom 404 error pages within our system. Several of our blogs have unique 404 pages, but we do not provide any way to customize them.

  I’m sorry for the inconvenience!

• 

  cryptosmith · Member · Oct 23, 2014 at 4:46 am

  • Copy link

  I would guess there is a specific reason not to support this – either due to WordPress architecture or due to the site’s business model. It is obviously a capability available to web technology. In fact, I’m almost positive that a self-hosted WordPress site supports such a thing.

  It is honestly a surprising omission at WordPress.com, especially when you look at how creative people like to be with their 404 pages.

  I can live without it, though.

• 

  rachelmcr · Member · Oct 24, 2014 at 1:38 pm

  • Copy link

  Hi there,

  Customizing the 404 error page requires making changes to theme template files, which isn’t an option here at WordPress.com. (Although, as Ash mentioned, many themes here at WordPress.com have unique 404 pages, so you can take that into account when selecting a theme.) You’re right, though, that it’s something you can change on self-hosted WordPress sites.

• 

  rachelmcr · Member · Oct 24, 2014 at 1:40 pm

  • Copy link

  One option if you’d like to add content to your 404 page, though, is to use Widgets. You can add widgets and set the widget visibility so they only appear on your site’s 404 page. Just let me know if you have questions about how that works. :)

• 

  cryptosmith · Member · Oct 24, 2014 at 2:10 pm

  • Copy link

  PERFECT.

  All I need is to give a specific message to readers who encounter 404 errors. A 404-specific widget display lets me do it. I knew there had to be a way to do something like this.

  While we can’t build a classically clever 404 page from a widget, it does what I really need the most.

  I will also keep in mind that some themes have custom 404 pages. I’m using Twenty Fourteen, which doesn’t seem to have one. Usability on mobile seems more important, though.