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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.

✅ Answered with WordPress best practices.

Ask any question about WordPress here... and get an instant response.

What’s the best way to create a custom 404 error page template?

Asked on Oct 03, 2025

Answer

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