What’s the best way to create a custom 404 error page template?
Asked on Oct 03, 2025
Answer
Creating a custom 404 error page template in WordPress involves modifying your theme to handle "Page Not Found" errors in a user-friendly manner. This is typically done by creating a custom `404.php` file in your theme directory.
<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
<?php
// File: 404.php
get_header(); ?>
<div class="error-404 not-found">
<h1><?php esc_html_e( 'Oops! That page can’t be found.', 'your-theme-textdomain' ); ?></h1>
<p><?php esc_html_e( 'It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search?', 'your-theme-textdomain' ); ?></p>
<?php get_search_form(); ?>
</div>
<?php get_footer(); ?>
<!-- END COPY / PASTE -->Additional Comment:
- Create a `404.php` file in your active theme's directory if it doesn't already exist.
- Use WordPress functions like `get_header()`, `get_footer()`, and `get_search_form()` to maintain consistency with your theme's layout.
- Customize the text and styling to match your site's branding and provide helpful navigation links or a search form.
- Test your 404 page by visiting a non-existent URL on your site to ensure it displays correctly.
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