Many Internet users often encounter such a problem as “404 not found”. This error appears if the requested site page (address) has been deleted, moved, or never existed. Error 404 has several causes, which are not difficult to understand.

The error message “404 not found” is a standard server response, indicating the absence of information (file or page) at the user’s request. In other words, this response indicates that the requested page is in this moment not available.

Causes of 404 error

The “404 not found” error occurs for many reasons. The most common among them are the following:

• Incorrect entry of page address
• Changing the page address (moving the page to another address)
• Site or server failure

Additional reasons

This problem often arises for other reasons. Thus, error 404 may appear if there is no connection (or unstable connection) of the device to the Internet. That's why desired page is not downloading. Also, a 404 error message may appear when the page is blocked by an antivirus.

Solution

Dealing with the 404 error problem depends on the cause of its occurrence. Most often, if this error occurs, the following actions are recommended:

• Checking the correct spelling of the address
• Reloading the page (click on the “Refresh” button or F5)
• Contacting the support service of the site on the page of which an error occurred
• Checking the device's connection to the Internet
• Checking your antivirus (or browser) settings

What does "404 not found" mean?

Thus, the “404 not found” error occurs if the site does not work properly, the page is moved to another address, or the address is entered incorrectly. In addition, this problem often indicates a weak (or absent) Internet connection.

Also, a 404 error may appear when the requested page is blocked by an antivirus or browser. This problem should be decided depending on the cause of occurrence. If the desired page still shows a 404 error response, then the page does not exist.

This error means that the page the user is trying to view was not found or does not exist. In this case, the user himself will not be able to influence the resolution of the issue in any way. The only thing he can do is find similar information on the same site. For example, an address with an error www.example.com/not-founded-page.html replaced by www.example.com

Why is this happening?

This happens because the user navigated to the site page using the wrong link. For example, the user entered in the browser (or followed the link) http://mysite.com/rbot.html, but what was needed was http://mysite.com/ro bot.html. Moreover, this link could be located both on your website and on third-party sites. You can find such links with using Google Webmaster Tools. To do this we go to page for this service, select your site, and then click: Status -> Scan Errors and select “Not Found”.

Also copes well with this task free program XenuLinks, which you can download and view the manual at.

How to fix 404 error?

In the traditional sense, it is impossible to correct this error, because The problem lies not in the operation of the server or the site engine, but in the fact that someone incorrectly specified the link address. That's why the only way corrections can be called identifying erroneous links and indicating the correct address. It is also worth checking whether the current page exists on your site? If it was deleted, then make sure that it appears again. If it has been renamed, then you need to set up a 301 redirect from the old page address to the new one.

When a user visits a website and sees this error through the server's output, it does not see your site (menu, navigation, design, etc.). Accordingly, it will close the page with 100% probability. This scheme works on all hosting sites by default. But you can program this page and show your website along with it. This means that the user, seeing the main links of your site in the menu, can click on them and stay on the site. Here are examples of incorrect and correct output, respectively:

There are many different ways implement a similar scheme, but the most universal of them is to add the following entry to the .htaccess file:

ErrorDocument 404 /error404.html

Accordingly, you will need to first create the page “/error404.html” itself.

Error 404 is the most recognizable and common error in hypertext documents. It reports that the page at the given address does not exist. Actually we're talking about about the absence of an html file for the specified document, so the site returns an error.

To understand the issue in more detail, as well as a number of service files that each resource has, you need to study the issue associated with the hypertext representation of pages using HTML language(HyperText Markup Language - “hypertext markup language”), and the HTTP protocol through which access is carried out. Although you will have to understand the programming language, its presentation is so simple that anyone can understand it.

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Hypertext pages and their features

The Internet was born at the moment when the English engineer Timothy John Berners-Lee came up with a hypertext form of representing text pages on the network and described the principle of accessing them using applied HTTP protocol. According to the general idea, the user from his device, namely from the browser, makes a network request for a specific resource. At this moment, a session is opened on the server being accessed. An HTML page is returned as the response.

Of course, nowadays more complex algorithms are used for accessing and “paging” large pages, but the general principle remains the same. To access the resource you need Domain name and IP address. Only if these criteria are met and the resource is in working order will an “error 404 not found” be returned for a missing document.

What a default 404 page looks like

The site may or may not have a custom “http 404 not found” access error page. A user with little experience, as a rule, is quite nervous when receiving it and believes that this is his fault. In fact, everything is much simpler; the answer follows from the above.

The 404 error code is returned as a separate page designed in the site design only if the site has a 404.html file. It is usually located in the root directory. Otherwise, the browser will display this error along with a message that access is not available. And it usually looks like a white sheet with an error message.

When developing websites, content management systems are usually used. They contain a 404 page indicating function files way to her. Usually such a page contains a message about non-existent address and a link to go to home page site. The 404 page template can be customized as you wish, as it is a page on your site that you can use however you wish.

In order to remake the template, you will need knowledge of HTML to mark up the file. Please note that in some cases the file with the page may have a different name - err404. html, 404.php. Differences from the standard are most often associated with wider functionality, as well as system features. For example, in WordPress the document can be found in the 404.php directory. In the address bar, “error 404 page not found” will be displayed something like this: domain.ru/404/.

We adapt the standard 404 page to suit your purposes

To improve the usability (acceptability for users) of the site, of course, it is necessary to create a page that will attract the visitor to your site and help them continue browsing. Things to consider when writing code:

• A significant portion of visitors who encounter non-existent pages come to the site from search engines or via links on forums, websites and in social networks, that is, from where old links to long-defunct pages may be located.
• Users are not looking for your site, but for information of interest on keyword, that is, in the absence of what they want, the visitor leaves the site and rarely views it.

That is, you must understand that it will not be so easy to retain such visitors, but it is possible!

Take a standard template available on the Internet, or make your own, taking into account the above features:

1. Briefly explain to the person what happened and why he doesn't see what he was looking for. Show him options for further actions that will help him find what he is looking for.
2. Display on page 404 search bar so that the visitor can immediately find what he wants.
3. Be sure to display the menu of your site here, with the help of which a person can understand where to go.
4. Make sure that the page attracts the user, and he wants to find information on your resource. Use colorful and interesting text and visual solutions.

To make a 404 server error page attractive to the user, it is enough to make him smile or interest. Therefore, try to work on the originality of the idea for such a section of your resource.

Editing the 404 page

You can edit the file directly from the content management system; to do this, you need to add the desired markup and images.
When creating it, be guided by the fact that information should be opened quickly and without delay. The page should be “lightweight” (take up little space), useful, and offer alternatives to searching for a non-existent document.

• go to home;
• list of ranking pages of the site;
• go to the resource map;
• a button to inform the administration about a “broken” link on a specific source.

Otherwise, the best assistant will be imagination, corporate standards and the original idea of ​​the designer.

Conclusion

The 404 not found page is a service file that can be changed and expanded to attract more visitors to the site. This file is required, because otherwise, the browser will display an error message, after which the chance of luring a person to you will be zero. Try to fill it with colorful images and even light humor.