Here is how to create custom error pages for maintaining a professional appearance, providing helpful guidance, and improving user experience on your website.

Error pages are displayed to visitors when they encounter problems accessing your site. Each issue is identified by a specific code, such as a 404 error for nonexistent URLs or a 401 error for unauthorised access attempts.

Here, we explain how to create custom error pages using the cPanel dashboard, available to users on one of the Domains.co.za cPanel Web Hosting plans. This guide assumes you have cPanel access and are logged in.

Creating a Custom Error Page in cPanel

Login to Your Domains cPanel

1. Login to your Domains.co.za account.  

2. From the dashboard, open the Manage Services dropdown menu and select your hosting plan.

3. Click Manage next to your domain.

4. On the page that follows, click Login to access cPanel.

Access your Error Pages

5. Click Error Pages under Advanced; there are several different error pages you can customise. In this tutorial example, we customise the 404 error page.

Note: All error pages can be created or customised by following the same process.

6. For this example, click 404.

Customise your Error Page

7. This is where you create your custom error page. You can include one or more tags to customise your selected web page further.

8. You can also use HTML tags in your page, making it easy to match the look of your error page to the rest of your website.

9. Now, create your custom 404 error page.

10. When finished, click Save at the bottom of the screen.

11. That’s it! The custom 404 error page is created.

You’ve reached the end of the tutorial, and you now know how to create custom error pages in cPanel.

Additional Information

Benefits of Creating Custom Error Pages

• Enhanced User Experience: Visitors who encounter errors, such as a 404 Page Not Found, may become frustrated. Custom error pages can provide helpful information, including navigation options, contact details for support, or links to alternative content, thereby reducing frustration and improving the overall user experience.
• Brand Consistency: Custom error pages help maintain your website’s branding and style. By designing these pages to match your site’s overall look and feel, you reinforce your brand identity even when errors occur.
• Reduced Bounce Rate: Users are more likely to leave your site if they encounter a generic error page. Custom error pages can offer additional options for exploring your website, helping to keep users engaged and stop them from bouncing.
• Improved SEO: Custom error pages optimised for search engines can help preserve link equity and enhance user experience. By providing useful content and navigation options on error pages, you can encourage visitors to stay and explore more, indirectly benefiting your SEO efforts.

Types of Error Page Codes

• 404 Not Found: This error indicates that the requested page cannot be found on the server, typically occurring when a user tries to access a URL that doesn’t exist.
• 500 Internal Server Error: Signifies a server problem that prevents the server from fulfilling the request, such as misconfiguration or script errors,.
• 403 Forbidden: The error occurs when the server refuses to fulfil a request due to insufficient permissions. This often happens when trying to access restricted areas without proper authorisation.
• 400 Bad Request: Means the server cannot process the request due to invalid syntax. It usually occurs when a malformed request is sent to the server.
• 503 Service Unavailable: Indicates that the server is temporarily unable to handle the request due to overload or maintenance, suggesting that users should try again later.