How to write a 404 page

And what do we have here? A tip for adding some of that microcopy magic to your 404 page.

Nobody wants their site visitors to land on a 404 page. Its annoying for them, its annoying for you. Annoying all-round. 

But you know what can make it a little less annoying?

Some thoughtful, helpful, voice-led copy.

How can you use it right now?

You know where this is going.

Hop on over to your CMS and access* the 404 page.

• Customise the error message: Preferably with on-brand humour and empathy for the user's frustration

• Point them somewhere useful: Maybe to your FAQ or About page, your most popular posts, or to your homepage. 

• Give them a way to contact you: Whether that's via a form on the page or by pointing them towards your contact page.

Don't try to get too clever with your 404 page copy though. Keep it clear and concise, and remember that the person landing here will probably already be frustrated that they didn't reach the page they had hoped for. 

Your goal is to alleviate that frustration.

*Instructions for Squarespace here, WordPress here, Shopify here, and Wix here. If you're on another platform, search "how to add custom 404 page on [PLATFORM]" or email your website developer, if you have one.