Find out what the error means and how you can get rid of it in our blog post below!
When you get the 404 error message, you usually think to yourself “What’s this all about?” or “Have I done something wrong?” No! We will explain whether and who did what wrong in the following points. It doesn’t have to be directly your fault if you end up on an error page. A 404 error is often caused by mistyping and the error can also be present in a link that you have been sent. Many websites forget this important page and allow the server standard to be delivered. Unfortunately, you lose users with this meaningless page and annoy them. The next question to ask yourself is “How can I fix the error if I am sure there is no typo?” Just because you see a 404 error does not mean that this page is really not available. Before you can be sure that there is a 404 Error error, try the following to bypass Error 404 pages and fix the error. We will go into more detail later on how you can do this.
It’s happened to all of us, we’re looking for a page and bang: error message! Let us explain to you what the error means, why it exists, how to work around it or how to fix it. What its advantages or disadvantages might be and how to deal with them.
You have probably already encountered the most well-known HTTP status code“Error 404 – Not Found”!
The HTTP status code 404 means that the requested website cannot be found on the web server. Either content has been removed or moved to another URL.
But is the 404 error (404 Error) really an error?
We are shown 404 as an error page, but there is actually no error, because website operators can create or set up these pages to display a page to users if either a dead link exists or an error occurs when the user searches on the actual website. 404 is therefore used specifically to display these pages that no longer exist in a different way. The idea behind a really good 404 error page is to help the user of the website. He doesn’t really know why the thing he was looking for wasn’t found. That’s why you should provide them with information and additional functions to motivate them to stay on the website and start a new search. A good 404 error page helps the user with orientation and provides information.
The 404 error code is not the only one. There are many other error messages that a user may receive in response to a query. However, as we will explain later, it is better to use this so-called error.
Error 404, 404 Error Page, 404 error: What does this mean?
Here we first tell you how the name came about. Some say it is a legend, but we believe that if you are willing, you can believe it. In the early days of the Internet, a server that was the first to detect this error was supposedly located in a room at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). This organization is located near Meyrin in the canton of Geneva in Switzerland and the server was probably located there in a room with the designation or number 404. This is where the www, the World Wide Web, was originally created.
What does the error message “Error 404 Page not found” mean?
Error 404-Page not Found” is a dead link (resource that cannot be found) that takes you to a page that is no longer available.
If the server cannot find the page you are looking for, the message “Error 404” is usually displayed. It happens faster than you think that such an error occurs, because it is the most well-known error message on the Internet. It is called a “dead link” because the page you are looking for no longer exists. You click on a link that takes you to another page. But lo and behold, the page does not exist. Messages such as “404 Not Found” are often displayed on these pages. The 404 error is an error code that indicates that the requested page is not available. Since the page you are looking for is not available, you should therefore make sure that you have entered the correct address for the file in the address bar of your browser.
A nice comparison is the post office, because if the delivery address is unknown, the item is returned to the sender.
Depending on the browser and language setting, the error may appear in different variations. For example as:
- Server not Found
- Error 404
- 404 Error
- Pages not Found
- Error Pages
- 404 Error
- Error 404
- http error 404
- Contents are displayed incorrectly
How do the error codes 404, 404 pages or 404 error pages occur?
As mentioned above, the error can be caused by typing the wrong URL. The website you were looking for does not exist at the address given and therefore cannot be found. Below the normal 404 error message there is also a soft 404 error message, which is very similar to the normal 404 error page, but there is no status code for the soft 404 error. Google evaluates such errors negatively.
The reason why you land on an error page is therefore not necessarily due to you, it is usually due to a spelling mistake in the web address, which can also be caused by the operator. The website operator may have renamed or even deleted the page, as this product or service no longer exists. There are many other reasons why a website operator deletes a page from the index.
There may also be other reasons why the error occurs:
- Domain is unknown or does not exist
- Newly assigned domain (page without content)
- Spelling mistake in the link
- the URL is incorrectly created or incorrectly linked internally
- the web server is not in operation (not accessible)
The 404 error message is usually displayed with black text on a white background. The actual content can vary greatly and can even be customized by the site operator. In most cases, a “404 Error” or “HTTP 404 Not Found” is displayed.
How can I recognize the 404 error or the 404 pages?
It’s pretty simple if you know which tools to use. A suitable tool for checking this is the Google Search Console, for example. This tool displays all errors in a summary under “Crawling”. All error messages of code 404 are listed under “Not found”. Of course, there are also other tools, but these are subject to a charge and do not necessarily offer more options than the Google Search Console.
Advantages and disadvantages of using 404 error pages
| Advantages | Disadvantages | |
| User experience is strengthened | High customer frustration because nothing is displayed. | |
| Increases the branding of a company | Higher bounce rate, as you do not land on the target page. | |
| Direct linking to target pages | poorer usability | |
| Intelligently redirect website traffic | ||
| Conversion increase |
What does Error 404 Not Found mean and how can you fix 404?
Simply follow the steps below to find out whether you have really landed on an Error 404 or not:
- Reload the website: The 404 code can occur for simple reasons, for example because the page has not loaded correctly. Reload the page and if the error code 404 appears again, try the following.
- Check the URL: If you enter the URL manually, errors can quickly occur. Even if you access the page via a shared link, there may be a typing error in the URL. You should therefore check the path of the website carefully and change it if you notice anything.
- Change the search engine: It is possible that your search engine is currently having problems or is being updated. If the page you are looking for exists, you can also find it via another search.
- Delete browser cache and cookies: If the first two options do not work, try deleting cookies and cache. Cache and cookies are used to shorten the loading time of websites that have already been accessed. In some cases, invalid information or outdated data is stored in the browser, which disrupts communication. You will receive an error message when loading the page. If you delete the cache and all cookies, you may be able to find the page you are looking for again. (We show you how to delete cache and cookies at the end of the article)
- Contact the website: If you have tried the previous steps without success, you still have the option of contacting the person responsible for the website personally. You will usually find the contact details under the imprint. This way you can make sure that the page you are looking for really does not exist or whether there is an error, which the website operator can then rectify. He may even be grateful to you if he was not yet aware of the error.
Error 404: how do I fix the error message?
We will now assume that everything was unsuccessful, you have done everything we advised you to do but the error message is still there. Have you already assumed that this may have something to do with the end device you are using? There are many different reasons for an error message that could only be caused by one device. Because:
- It could be that your search device has a virus and is no longer loading certain or all pages.
- Your device may have a technical problem since the last update or has one because you have not carried out the update.
The error messages, such as the Error 404 error pages that appear on a page when the page you actually want is no longer available, must also be created. But how do you create a “Page not Found” page? We will explain this to you in one of the following sections.
Page not Found – How and why is an error page created?
Creating an error page is not particularly difficult. The error pages can be created with and without WordPress. WordPress is a content management system and is the most widely used system when it comes to operating websites. If you create your error page with WordPress, a theme that automatically creates a 404 error page is already included during installation.
If you want to create an error page without WordPress, you need to create a file and give it the name 404.html, for example. You can design these as you wish. Make sure that all important elements are included in the file. You need to make it clear to your visitor where they have landed. You quickly become unsure when an error code 404 Page not Found appears. Insert a sentence such as “The desired website could not be found” or “Oops, an error has occurred”. So that your user knows that something has gone wrong or to make your error page even better and more interesting for your status. Since your user does not know why he has landed on your error page, he develops a negative feeling. So that your visitor does not disappear immediately, you could include a search field so that the user can search for the desired page again and be redirected to the actual page called up.
The 404 error message is usually displayed with black text on a white background. The purpose behind this is to inform the user where he has landed and that this page no longer exists.
How do I create a 404 error page?
If you plan to create a 404 error page, make sure you mention all the important elements on your page, such as
- Customize the standard texts, be creative and adapt the message to your branding.
- Suggest strong pages as alternatives and offer the user easy re-entry and put them on the right path.
- Explain what went wrong in a funny way, because the user will not be pleased to have landed on your page.
- You want to draw attention to yourself with your site, add a logo to arouse interest.
- Offer an opportunity to establish contact. If your logo attracts attention as hoped, the user will want to find out more. Add your number, e-mail address or a contact form.
- If you can still find space on your creative, humorous error page, add a search field, the user can then search for the desired page from your site, and a boring error page that is useless and is actually clicked away immediately becomes a useful and interesting page that is also a new search engine.
Make sure that you regularly check that your forwarding concept is up to date.
The website is the figurehead and business card of every company and says a lot about the operator. So the state of the website is very important to show users that a lot of dedication is being put into even 404 pages. These pages can be creative and eye-catching and should fit in with the overall image of the website and the style of your company.
Do I link to Error 404 pages?
It is important to know whether the missing pages are linked, whether internally or externally. These can be links from outside, incoming links, also called “inbound links” or self-linked pages, the “internal links”. If you know where the pages are linking from or to, you can ensure that you don’t lose any traffic, which in turn would mean a loss of potential users. If you work with WordPress, you can easily find out where these broken links are with a free plugin. The plugin provides an overview in the backend and can inform you by e-mail if such a 404 code is linked. There are also paid tools for extensive, large sites, but these do not necessarily offer much more.
What does the error code mean for search engine optimization?
Dead links occur on almost every website, including the 404 error, and the bots, spiders and crawlers know this too. It only has an effect on the ranking if the error occurs frequently or is knowingly not corrected. We definitely recommend that you pay constant attention to internal and external links. From an SEO point of view, a redirect is the best solution for everyone involved, for the user, as they still receive good content, and for the search engines, as they know that the user will still receive useful content.
If there are a lot of soft 404 errors on a website, this is not the best thing for your Google ranking. Such errors are quickly recognized by search engines and seen as an attempt to deceive, which is why they then penalize the website and rank it lower. Especially if they occur frequently.
20 beautiful and creative examples of error pages
We’ve done some research and picked out the 20 most beautiful, funny and creative error messages for you, because black text on a white field is standard and boring.
- Congratulations! You broke the site
- Go return from where you came
- Oops you don’t want to be here
- Broken Link
- I’m sorry, I have no idea where that page went
- This is not the page you’re looking for
- Oh dear, an old link
- Aww… don’t cry. Its just a 404 Error
- No page here Everyone’s laughing at you
- We are looking for your page… but we can’t find it
- With or without a crash barrier, this is the end of the road
- Looks like you got lost in space
- Ahhhhhh! This page doesn’t exist
- Houston. We have a problem
- Ever feel like you’re in the wrong place?
- Woah, you’re lost buddy!
- A ninja stole this page
- Poor thing got lost…
- Oops… you’ve reached a dead end. How to find your way back:
- Uh oh… 404, Page not Found because I ate it
Conclusion and message about 404 error pages and 404 error pages
For us, error messages are part of an online presence, which is why we recommend that you check your website regularly. Especially after a URL change or a relaunch, it is very important to maintain the website and check for errors. So don’t panic if you end up on a 404 error page, because any 404 page is better than not getting any information. Use these pages sensibly and achieve small advantages instead of possible disadvantages. Customize the design in a humorous and creative way and show what else you can do with 404 pages to avoid annoying anyone completely. We use this little robot with the words “Keep calm I’ll fix it!”
Large companies even manage to generate benefits from such pages by placing advertisements with matching images. Which method you want to use is up to you, but just keep in mind how important a well set up error page is. At the end of the day, no one wants to put off potential customers with little things like this.
Delete possible 404 error page errors in the cache and cookies
Clear cache Chrome
- Open Chrome
- Click on the three-dot menu at the top right.
- Go to further tools.
- Select a time period
- Click on the box next to ‘Images and files’ in the cache.
- Select Delete data.
Clear cache Safari
- Open Safari and select Settings from the menu bar
- Activate the ‘Developer menu’ option in the menu bar
- Click on ‘Developer’ in the list
- Select Empty cache memory
- However, you also have the option of clearing your cache with 3 key combinations, simply press Com+Alt+E.
Clear cache Firefox
- Go to the menu items marked with 3 dashes
- Click on Settings
- Select Privacy & Security
- Click on Remove data
- When a window opens, select both options and click on Delete data.
Delete cookies Chrome
- Open Chrome
- Click on the three-dot menu at the top right.
- Go to further tools.
- Select a time period
- Check the box next to ‘Cookies and other website data’.
- Select Delete data.
Delete cookies Safari
- Open Safari and click on the menu bar at the top left
- Select the Settings option from the list
- Now click on the Data protection tab
- Now select ‘Manage website data’ to clear all or just a few cookies.
- You now have the option of deleting all cookies or only certain cookies with a single click.
Delete cookies Firefox
- Open the menu and then the settings.
- Go to “Data protection & security”.
- Click on Manage data under Cookies and website data.
- Select a cookie or filter the list first using the search field.
- Finish the process by clicking on “Remove selected”.
- Confirm the deletion process with Save changes.
Terms on the topic
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