404 Custom Page

**Samrc** · July 8, 2003

I notice you can customize a 404 page in the cpanel but it seems bare bones. Can I make a page that matches my site (colors, design, etc) and connect to it somehow?

On another site, with a different webhost, it was as easy as creating a new page, making it 404.htm and it works.

I know many people must have asked this question, but when I did a search I didn't find an answer. Is there someplace I should go for instruction?

Thank you.

-Samantha

**TCH-Don** · July 8, 2003

Samantha see this thread on how add an error page.

**Samrc** · July 8, 2003

Consider yourself hugged! Thank you!

I knew it was easy and had been addressed before. Will work with it tomorrow night.

-Samantha :rolleyes:

**TCH-Don** · July 8, 2003

You are welcome Samantha,

try it on my site, just add a character after the url, to invoke the 404.

**Samrc** · July 8, 2003

Already done. Added the line of code to my htaccess file and poof it works fine.

Thank you again.

Now I will go back and take a look at yours, Thomas and Curtis's versions.

And will have to read that post about the htaccess file to understand what I did! But I will do that tomorrow.

Good night.

-Samantha

**TCH-Don** · July 8, 2003

As I said in the other post, I did not edit the htaccess file, I used the control panel to edit the 404 error page.

And it works fine.

**Samrc** · July 8, 2003

Turtle, you send me to a thread that had a simple answer from Jimuni which added one line of code to htaccess, so I did! Simple.

I did see your note that you added your HTML code to the 404 page in the cpanel, but I thought changing one line of code would be faster and also had one more issue with doing it that way: Had an image in my 404 page and wasn't sure that I could do that on a 404 page in the cpanel so I stuck with the one line change.

Works well. Thumbs Up

-Samantha

**curtis** · July 8, 2003

I had a custom 404 at my old host, the page was named 404.shtml. When I moved my site here the 404 worked without using .htaccess or control panel. Don't understand why but it worked so I didn't change anything. Its not broke so why fix it.

curtis

**TCH-JimE** · July 8, 2003

Intresting curtis, I wonder if your htaccess file copied with your site!

Jim

**curtis** · July 8, 2003

I checked my .htaccess and there is only one redirect in it. At my old host the home page had to be named main.html. This is to redirect main to index.html,has nothing to do with 404 page. Like I said I don't understand it but it works.

I don't think the .htaccess could have moved over,the htaccess was on the server,

When I set up the account here I published from my computer,didn't transfer from server to server.

curtis

**idallen** · July 8, 2003

I had a custom 404 at my old host, the page was named 404.shtml. When I moved my site here the 404 worked without using .htaccess or control panel. Don't understand why but it worked so I didn't change anything.

It works because cPanel sites all define a custom error page at /404.shtml

If you supply this page on your site, it will be used.

If you don't have a /404.shtml page, you'll see this error:

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

**doc** · July 8, 2003

That's good to know idallen. Thanks for the info.

**curtis** · July 8, 2003

So for a custom 404 error page you just build a page and name it 404.shtml and thats all. That does make it very simple. And explains why mine works without using .htaccess or the control panel.

Thanks

curtis

**SEO** · July 8, 2003

I have always added this line to the .htaccess file:

>ErrorDocument 404 http://www.sitename.com/404error.html

[after creating a 404error.html file]

**Samrc** · July 8, 2003

That's what I did last night, based on a post by Jim.

-Samantha

**TCH-Don** · July 9, 2003

I have no entry in htaccess file,

I just pasted a page in the cpanel area for error pages.

I did this because I wanted to insert the name of the not found page, by clicking on the button above the window.

I guess what ever works,

**Samrc** · July 9, 2003

Turtle,

I wanted a couple of the features offered in the cpanel too: page not found url and refering url. I put them into the 404 page I made in CSB by inserting the code into insert > HTML. Best of both worlds.

Renamed my page 404.shtml and took out my htacess line. Works great. Take a look.

-Samantha

**TCH-Don** · July 9, 2003

Ok Samantha, very nice

You are going to make me re do mine, I made it when I first came here, and meant to do better.

(more work for me )

**Samrc** · July 9, 2003

Did you see this 404 page by another TCH member?

http://www.thinkdigitally.com/Gdesign/insi...ison/index.html

-Samantha

**cmuskett** · July 9, 2003

This is my 404 page

http://dddezigns.com/404/404.html

**TCH-Don** · July 9, 2003

Charlotte, very good too!

and then there is think digitally, another good one.

ok I will work on a better on this week (holds hands up in surender )

**Samrc** · July 9, 2003

Just one more then I will leave you alone.

This is the one I have for Lambert....http://www.lambertusa.com/404.htm

Functional.

-Sam

**TCH-Don** · July 9, 2003

Ok, I have updated mine a little.

http://thepetscorner.com/404error.html

**Samrc** · July 9, 2003

like it..... might incorporate a form in mine too.

On Lambert's I gave a link to a form, but didn't put a form on the 404....nice idea!

-Sam

**cmuskett** · July 9, 2003

Ok, I have updated mine a little.
http://thepetscorner.com/404error.html

Looks great!! I like the form idea.. :rolleyes:

**TCH-Don** · July 9, 2003

I thought I would make is easy for a vistor to report a broken link

I used this for the message box

<textarea name="message" rows="7" cols="55"> page not found on the pets corner,


refering page is



</textarea>

I made a seperate one for our animal care center,

that displays

page not found on SCACC,

thanks for getting me off my duff <_<

**cmuskett** · July 9, 2003

Thanks for posting that.. I'll give it a try in a bit :lol:

**TCH-Don** · July 9, 2003

Note the hard returns in the text box for formatting

**Samrc** · July 9, 2003

Thank you..... will play with mine when I get home tonight to add a form. Great idea.

-Sam

**TCH-Don** · July 9, 2003

You are welcome!

**TCH-Sales** · July 9, 2003

Ohh great, now you got me messing around with mine!

**TCH-Don** · July 9, 2003

Naughty :rolleyes:

**TCH-Sales** · July 9, 2003

Alright :rolleyes: mine is straight and to the point.. Thumbs Up

http://www.cerealkeeler.net/404.shtml

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

Very nice Mitch Thumbs Up

**Samrc** · July 10, 2003

Mitch...

Hate to say it, but I think you misspelled entrance.

Ok, modified mine to have a form now, with a thankyou that has links.

http://www.samisite.com/404.shtml

It works fine, sorta...when the page is accessed from within a subdirectory, the image doesn't show. I have a sub test-csb, but no 123:

http://www.samisite.com/test-csb/123

-Samantha

**TCH-Sales** · July 10, 2003

Man, that's what I get for rushing eh? Thanks for the heads up, I got it fixed. :rolleyes:

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

Very nice Samantha!

the image for the sub domain error page seems to be relative

maybe try absolute

as in

**Samrc** · July 10, 2003

Thank you.... That was it. I used this to link to the logo on my home page and now it works fine! Thumbs Up

-Samantha

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

Yep, works great!

I may change the submit button to read

Click to report this error

**Samrc** · July 10, 2003

I took off the caps and now mine reads:

"Click here to report error and see alternative links"

Really like the built-in form idea! Pat yourself on the back for me-you done good!

-Samantha

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

Thanks,

I changed mine too.

Dance

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

I put a seperate version in the animal care center folder

so it reads

page not found on SCACC,

/404

refering page is

(none)

now I will know which part of the site the error is in.

**Samrc** · July 10, 2003

Turtle, just visited yours. You might want to center the buttons.

I decided to remove the reset button on mine-only choice is to report error (or back button)

I didn't realize that you could have a separate 404 for a subdomain. Never worked with one.

-Sam

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

Thanks I am fixing it now. And will remove the reset too.

Just put the error page in the sub folder

**Samrc** · July 10, 2003

This has been fun.

So thankful I found Trellix/CSB/and now TCH!

This new format with a form on the 404 will come in VERY handy as I move the company site this week. Bought the site today, was sent the welcome email 13 minutes after purchasing..! Will start publishing to TCH tomorrow morning. The new format will at least make it easier for me to find out where the error is with almost no effort on the visitor's part.

-Samantha

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

Yes a very good day.

Send me a link when you want me to look for bad links and images.

**boxturt** · July 10, 2003

WOW you guys ! Seen some real nice, functional stuff here. Nice work. Mine have never been that cool but I always have fun making them :rolleyes:

In no particular order here are a few I have used in the past. Goof

http://lyricsplayground.com/404/labore404.html

http://lyricsplayground.com/404/turtmouse404.html

http://lyricsplayground.com/404/claimcheck404.html

http://lyricsplayground.com/404/flaming404.html

http://lyricsplayground.com/404/turt404.html

http://lyricsplayground.com/404/twisted404.html

(BTW - please don't yell at me for the "server error" line in the flaming 404. I was using it on my old yucky host and it usually WAS their fault!)

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

Ty, those are very funny Thumbs Up

You have given me something more to shoot for.

**Singer** · July 10, 2003

Your 404s are great, Ty! :rolleyes:

**boxturt** · July 10, 2003

Thanks......tee hee

**Samrc** · July 10, 2003

Love the Professor Labore!

-Samantha

**doc** · July 10, 2003

Here's what happens when you write your error page at 4:00 AM

Imadsurfer Error Page

**TCH-Don** · July 10, 2003

ROFLMAO vaer good Thumbs Up

**TCH-Sales** · July 10, 2003

Doc, you definately win the award for the most bizzare and funny 404 page!

**cmuskett** · July 10, 2003

OMG LOL How funny!

**boxturt** · July 10, 2003

funny!!

**Samrc** · July 11, 2003

A hoot!!! Sent the link to a couple friends that will love it

-Samantha

**greatfolios sysop** · July 11, 2003

Doc!

**Mav2u** · July 11, 2003

Here is a current one I'm messing around with. I like Calvin and Hobbes so I just had to implement this one. Each error has a different comic.

I'm still working on it though. I would like to just have a random image comic come up instead. But who knows, next week it will be something entirely different since this is like my 10th error setup in two months. Now that I look at everyone elses it makes me want to change mine again. Head Bash

Mav

**doc** · July 11, 2003

Hey..thanks guys...I had to get offline because of bad lightning here.... I'm glad you guys like my error page... lol....it came to me in a blinding flash of too much coffee and too little sleep....

**cmuskett** · July 11, 2003

Here is a current one I'm messing around with. I like Calvin and Hobbes so I just had to implement this one. Each error has a different comic.

404 error

405 error

414 error

501 error

505 error

I'm still working on it though. I would like to just have a random image comic come up instead. But who knows, next week it will be something entirely different since this is like my 10th error setup in two months. Now that I look at everyone elses it makes me want to change mine again. Head Bash

Mav

I love Calvin and Hobbes too... they're great! :huh:

**TCH-Don** · July 11, 2003

The 404 is great!

but if I type in a bad link it does not work?like http://mav2u.com/errors

**Mav2u** · July 11, 2003

Dats because I am reworking them again and haven't put the .htaccess link in for my php errors. I'll probably get around to it later tonight. Heck I might just change the whole darned thing again. Head Bash

Mav

**TCH-Don** · July 11, 2003

I do not have an entry in .htaccess

I just put the 404.shtml in the root folder and it works

or I can put one in a subdomain and it will also work.

Edited July 11, 2003 by turtle

**boxturt** · July 13, 2003

I added a hidden textarea to the 404 form because the user can change or delete the info in the user area and it will arrive in your email as altered. This way you could just reserve the text area for comments or in my case, a lyrics request.

<div align=center>
<form NAME="404error" METHOD=POST ACTION="http://yoursite.com/path/tomail/">

<textarea style="position:absolute;visibility:hidden;" name="error">



is not found,

the refering page was



</textarea>

<BR>

<textarea name="message" value="message" rows="7" cols="55">



is not found,

the refering page was



</textarea>

<BR>

<input type="submit" value="Click to report this error">

</form>

</div>

**TCH-Don** · July 13, 2003

Good idea Ty

Thanks Thumbs Up

**TCH-Don** · July 13, 2003

Ok Ty, I re did my error page

and made it a little more humorus I hope.

Edited July 17, 2003 by turtle

**boxturt** · July 13, 2003

Naughty

**boxturt** · July 13, 2003

Email error (?) and posting double, sorry

Edited July 13, 2003 by boxturt

**cmuskett** · July 13, 2003

Ok Ty, I re did my error page
and made it a little more humorus I hope.

That's funny!! I love it

**TCH-Sales** · July 17, 2003

I have pinned this topic because of all the good information inside, way to go guys and gals!

**Samrc** · July 21, 2003

I had a form on my 404 page that had a textarea with information on the 404 page error using the echo command. I was allowing the visitor to comment inside the text box with the error information.

Then I saw a post to make the 404 info hidden. I did that.

I tried to add a second textarea so a visitor can send a comment, but I just get the hidden text 404 information, not the comment textarea.

How would I have both? Or is it even possible?

-Samantha

**boxturt** · July 21, 2003

Even if you took out the visible #echo var (2nd set) it should still work, here's what just came back to me:

On 2003-07-20 at 19:47:15,

The following information was submitted:

>From Host: 24.49.***.**

error = /alpha/whackofungussongs.html

is not found on ILP,

the refering page was

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/x.html

Should be comments here, showing up at the other end after I click THE BUTTON!!!!

You may have to change the field names in the 404 form to match fields in you mail script (if you're sending it that way)

Edited July 21, 2003 by boxturt

**Samrc** · July 21, 2003

hmmm.. not working.

I am still using the Globalscape server for my forms. I have not set up an email on my website yet....I am using their header for the form. Maybe that's the problem....

-Samantha

**boxturt** · July 21, 2003

Hang in there, you can do it! Give me a shout if you think i could help.

**Samrc** · July 21, 2003

Ok.... give it a try....I've worked on it for over an hour...and have settled for this without extra text area:

<form action="http://csbmail.globalscape.com/cgi-bin/csbmail/csbmail.pl" method="POST" enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded">
<input type="hidden" name="tlx_SortOrder" value="error">

<input type="hidden" name="tlx_FormIndex" value="2">

<input type="hidden" name="tlx_OKMessage" value="<META HTTP-EQUIV="Refresh" CONTENT="0;URL=http://www.samisite.com/errorthanks.htm">">

<input type="hidden" name="tlx_SendMode" value="1">

<input type="hidden" name="tlx_Subject" value="SamiSite error report form">

<input type="hidden" name="tlx_EmailTo" value="samrc2@mindspring.com">

<textarea name="error" style="position:absolute;visibility:hidden;">

This page was not found:



The page you came from (referring page) is:



</textarea>

<INPUT TYPE="submit" value="click to report error & see alternative links" name="tlx_send" onfocus="this.blur()" style="background-color:#C0DCC0;color:#680098;font-weight:bold">

</form>

Tried adding this before the submit button:

<textarea name="comment" cols="40" rows="3" wrap="VIRTUAL"></textarea>

and added comment to the sort order too (as usual)

But I just get this response:

error: This page was not found:
/photo/123

The page you came from (referring page) is:

(none)

tlx_SortOrder: error, comment

tlx_SortOrder: error, comment <<< this is the standard response when the server can not send a field. I get error, but not comment. Tried reversing order.

I'm usually VERY good with forms, but this combo is a stickler for me.

Any suggestions??

**thatguy8b** · August 15, 2003

This is my 404 page
http://dddezigns.com/404/404.html

hehe that's cute

**jpickeri** · September 19, 2003

I decided to create some custom error pages for my site tonight and thought the TCH family might like to see the result. BTW, Cpanel puts them in your www directory naming them 400.shtml, 401.shtml, etc. Thus, you can create them offline and just ftp them over.

Try About jSNMP Enterprises instead of About jSNMP Enterprises.

The error pages are ...

jim

**jpickeri** · September 19, 2003

Oops. Looks like there is already a thread on this subject in the same forum. Just shows you that there is already a plethora of info in the TCH forums. Maybe I should not post after a 16 hour work day!

Moderator ... please move this to the pinned discussion.

Merged: by Deverill

Edited September 19, 2003 by Deverill

**TCH-Dick** · September 22, 2003

found this $)$ error page and HAD to swipe it

http://www.x-trememodz.com/asdf.html

**Dennis** · September 22, 2003

Hehe, really good one :dance:

**TCH-Rob** · September 22, 2003

Thanks Mike, I spit Pepsi on my monitor.

What's your address? I am sending you the bill. :dance:

**curtis** · September 22, 2003

I really enjoyed that one,it may be the best one yet.

Mike, I thought about swiping it also but I think thats from leezard's site and that could be a little to close to this home for me to use it. Naughty

curtis

**TCH-Dick** · September 23, 2003

, swipe away

**TamaraNicole** · October 27, 2003

I've skinned my weblog and I use PHP to skin my error page. (http://leftofwest.org/404.php) BUT, when I tried to use the Control Panel to create a 404 with a PHP extension, nothing happened. THEN, I tried to write my own .htaccess file and got a 500 error, completely blocking me out of my site.

I used the same code I have with other hosts - ErrorDocument 404 http://leftofwest.org/404.php - in the .htaccess file so I'm not sure what's up.

Since CP insists on using .shtml (YUK!), am I going to have to create a .shtml page that then pulls in my PHP?

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