How to Manage Error Pages (404, 500)
# How to Manage Error Pages (404, 500)
Customise the error pages visitors see when something goes wrong on your website.
## Default Error Pages
Web servers show default error pages for common errors:
- **400 Bad Request** — the server cannot process the request.
- **401 Unauthorized** — authentication required.
- **403 Forbidden** — access denied.
- **404 Not Found** — the page does not exist.
- **500 Internal Server Error** — server-side error.
## Customising Error Pages in cPanel
1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Go to **Advanced** > **Error Pages**.
3. Select the domain.
4. Click the error code you want to customise (e.g., **404**).
5. Edit the HTML content.
6. Use the available tags:
- ```` — the error code
- ```` — the URL that caused the error
- ```` — your domain name
7. Click **Save**.
[screenshot: cPanel error page editor for 404]
## Customising via .htaccess
For more control, use ``.htaccess``:
1. Create custom error pages (e.g., ``404.html``, ``500.html``) in ``public_html``.
2. Add to ``.htaccess``:
```apache
ErrorDocument 404 /404.html
ErrorDocument 500 /500.html
ErrorDocument 403 /403.html
```
### Example Custom 404 Page
Create ``public_html/404.html``:
```html
Page Not Found
404 - Page Not Found
Sorry, the page you are looking for does not exist.
``` ## WordPress Custom 404 WordPress handles 404 pages through your theme: 1. Create a ``404.php`` file in your theme directory. 2. Customise it with your site's design. 3. WordPress automatically uses it for missing pages. ## Best Practices 1. **Match your site design** — custom error pages should look like part of your website. 2. **Include navigation** — help visitors find what they need. 3. **Add a search bar** — especially on 404 pages. 4. **Link to homepage** — always provide a way back. 5. **Keep it helpful** — suggest popular pages or categories. ## Related Articles - [How to Use File Manager in cPanel](/knowledgebase/use-file-manager-cpanel) - [How to Fix 500 Internal Server Error](/knowledgebase/fix-500-internal-server-error) --- *Need help? Contact our support team at {{SUPPORT_URL}}/client/support.*