When you think you’re done customizing your website to the max, even if you use Divi, you’re still going to be missing something that almost no one thinks about: the 404 error page.
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What is the 404 error page?
The 404 page is an error page that all WordPress themes display when a user arrives at a link that does not exist on your website, either because the link he clicked was wrong or because he typed it with some error.
By default, most WordPress themes show a generic 404 error page, which simply informs that the user has reached a page that does not exist, without further help, but especially without anything to encourage the user to continue browsing.
And in the case of our beloved Divi theme the situation is no different:
This type of 404 error page without customization is a lost opportunity for a new user to find interesting and valuable content on our website, despite the initial error, and it is something that we should fix.
In fact, if you type in some random URL on your favorite websites you will see that in many cases they take advantage of these “errors” to offer a search engine, interesting links and other content to users who, by mistake, arrive at the 404 page.
So what I propose you today is to create a good 404 error page, which brings value to the user who reaches it unintentionally.
How to create a custom 404 error page with the Divi theme builder
If you have the theme or Divi builder updated then you already have everything you need, because you have the tool called “Divi Theme Builder“.
The first thing is to access the theme builder and create a new template.
As soon as you click on the button to add the new template, the first thing you have to select is where it will be used. At the bottom, in the “Other” section you have to select the “404 page” option.
As said, check the “404 page” option and click on “Create template“. A new template will be created, in which you can customize the header, footer, and of course the custom body content.
From this point on, simply click on the elements you want to customize and set them to your liking, as you would with any other page on Divi.
What should I include in a custom 404 error page?
With all the options available in Divi to customize your 404 error page template, there are several elements you can include that will bring value to the user who mistakenly lands on that page.
Make it attractive
There is nothing more boring than an error page, so make it attractive, even nice, don’t make the user think that the error is their fault.
Free your imagination here, but a nice image will always help…
Include a search tool
Nothing easier with Divi, just add the search module and you are already offering the user a way to find what he was looking for.
Include a list or navigation of entries and/or pages
You also have navigation modules and even a slider of entries and pages, which you can display, thus taking the user immediately to specific interesting content, which you can even choose yourself.
Include a form
While you’re at it, why not offer a contact form or – even better – a subscription form for your newsletter?
Include a link to the home page of the website
And always offer a link to go to the home page of the website, from where the user can visit the main sections of your site.
When you have finished designing the custom 404 error page to your liking save the changes in the Divi builder and close the template editor, then save the changes on the theme builder too.
That’s it, you’ve configured your custom 404 error template!
