How do I show custom error pages?

Austin Beresford
Published: 15 May 2020
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Having a custom error page can have many advantages.

If you wish to customise or brand the default error pages that are shown on your sites it is quick and easy when you web hosting is with us.

Head to Manage Hosting and the package you wish to add the custom error for.

Under ‘Web Tools’ Select the Custom Errors icon.

set custom error pages in control panel my20i

From here you can configure what action occurs when a particular status code is encountered on the site.

setting for custom error page example

How to set a custom error page

It is really simple to set a custom error page. Select the status (error) code you wish to configure action for, then select the type of action that you want to happen and the final value of the action which will either be a redirect to a page you created for this purpose, external URL or plain text.

For WordPress hosted websites, that means no extra plugin is needed to show a custom error page.

Why set a custom error page?

 There are multiple reasons why having a custom error page is beneficial for your website.

  1. Improved user experience: Customised error pages can provide a better user experience by providing your website visitors with helpful and informative messages instead of generic and unhelpful error messages. A custom error page can include instructions on how to resolve the issue, direct to other helpful pages on the website or provide your contact information.
  2. Branding and personalization: Individualised error pages can be designed to match the website's branding and style, providing a consistent look and feel. This can help reinforce the website's brand and create a personalized experience for users.
  3. Reduced bounce rates: A well-designed error page can encourage users to stay on the website and continue browsing, rather than leaving the website due to a frustrating error message. This can help reduce bounce rates and increase user engagement.
  4. If you are a hosting reseller or a digital agency you can provide this as a service for your customers. They don’t have to worry about error pages when you provide a customised solution for them.
  5. Error tracking and analysis: Custom error pages can be used to track and analyse errors on the website. This can help website owners identify and resolve recurring errors, improving the overall reliability and performance of the website.

What error code can a custom page be set up for:

You can quick an easy set a custom error page for all 4xx and 5xx error codes.

In detail the error codes are:

4xx Client Error

5xx Server Error

   

400 Bad Request

500 Internal Server Error

401 Unauthorized

501 Not Implemented

402 Payment Required

502 Bad Gateway

403 Forbidden

503 Service Unavailable

404 Not Found

504 Gateway Timeout

405 Method Not Allowed

505 HTTP Version Not Supported

406 Not Acceptable

506 Variant Also Negotiates

407 Proxy Authentication Required

507 Insufficient Storage

408 Request Timeout

508 Loop Detected

409 Conflict

510 Not Extended

410 Gone

511 Network Authentication Required

411 Length Required

 

412 Precondition Failed

 

413 Payload Too Large

 

414 URI Too Long

 

415 Unsupported Media Type

 

416 Range Not Satisfiable

 

417 Expectation Failed

 

418 I'm a teapot

 

421 Misdirected Request

 

422 Unprocessable Entity

 

423 Locked

 

424 Failed Dependency

 

425 Too Early

 

426 Upgrade Required

 

428 Precondition Required

 

431 Request Header Fields Too Large

 

451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons

 

 

As an example how a custom error page can look, here is the one we use at 20i

custom error page example 20i