How to Create a Custom 404 Error Page

29 Nov

What’s a 404 Error Page? Why do I need it? Does Squarespace make me one by default? How do I customize it to make it look like the rest of my site? All these questions and more will be answered in the next two minutes and thirteen seconds. Or you can read the transcript below the video.

TL;DR - Just the goods, please!

build and customize the page in your Not Linked area (and give it a name)
go to Website (if you’re not already there)
down to System Pages
click 404 Page
change the System Default page to your newly created custom 404 Error page

Boom! Nailed it. Great job!

Prefer to read it? Here’s the transcript:

How to Create a Custom 404 Error Page in your Squarespace website

Hey, it's Kessiah with Radiant Websites. Here's a quick way to elevate your Squarespace website with a custom 404 Error page. The short answer is first you build the page in your Not Linked area, then you go to Website, all the way down to System Pages, click 404 Page, and then change the System Default page to your newly created custom 404 Error page.

Let's break it down a little. I'm using Squarespace 7.1, but if you're still on 7.0, not to worry. You'll just click on Website and then Pages and then the rest is the same, you'll find your System Pages right at the bottom.

So what's an Error page? The short answer is that's the page that comes up if someone reaches a broken or outdated URL (or link) on your site.

Luckily, Squarespace does have you covered to the basic extent. Your site comes with a built in default 404 Error page which totally gets the job done but it's not very persuasive and it's *not cute.* Bottom line, it's likely that your visitor might just click out of your site at this point.

With a custom 404 Error page, you can make sure that even an old or broken link will bring your users to a beautifully branded page that matches the rest of your site and continues to guide them back to your content, which is where you want them.

Some of my favorite things to include are a search bar, easy links to every page on the site, and then a simple contact form just in case they're so totally confused that they just want a little bit of hand holding, and there you go. Now they're in your inbox.

If you know how to design a page, then setting this up is a quick fix. First, you design the page in your Not Linked area. Hot tip is to duplicate another one of your pages to begin so that all your styles are already plugged in. You customize it to include whatever blocks you want, a search bar, links to your pages, a contact form, and then you give it a clear name, like “404 Error.”

And then again, here's where you hook it up. You go to Website, all the way down to System Pages, 404 Page, and then change the System Default page to your newly created custom 404 Error page. And that's it. I hope this helps. Let me know what questions you have and have a blast designing your Squarespace website.

Meet Kessiah

I’m Kessiah, Squarespace website designer for happy visionaries of all industries. I work with businesses and brands of all shapes and sizes, including startups, corporations, agencies, nonprofits, and solopreneurs. If you’ve got a project you’d like to discuss, you can email me at hello@kessiah.com, leave me a note here, or book in for a free 15 minute consultation call here to tell me all about what you have in mind.