Ever been clicking through a website, hunting down that dress you saw on an Insta ad, or shopping for your favourite skincare product, only to be led down a dead-end link? Then you, our friend, have experienced an all-too-common internet experience of a 404 error. Whilst a ‘404’ error might seem like some sort of robotic language, you’d be likely to hear from your A.I. house butler 20 years from now, we’re here to help you understand exactly what a 404 error is, why you want to make sure your website doesn’t have them, and how to avoid them altogether. In this article, we’re sharing how to turn your 404 page into an opportunity to engage visitors who might’ve stumbled across some missing content.

What is a 404 error then?

A 404 error is the internet’s way of saying, “Oops, that page packed its bags and vanished.” It’s like showing up at your favourite café only to find they’ve moved three streets over—without telling you. This usually happens when a page has been deleted, a link is broken, or a URL changes without a proper redirect. Sometimes, it’s just a simple case of a typo or an outdated bookmark leading you down a digital dead-end.

Why Your 404 Page Matters

Imagine walking into your favourite store, only to find an empty shelf where your must-have item should be. Frustrating, right? Especially if you checked that it was in stock online before heading there. That’s how visitors feel when they land on a generic 404 error page, like the standard Squarespace 404 page that blasts ‘we couldn’t find the page you were looking for’ across the screen. It’s about as helpful as the teenager behind the customer service counter. Instead of having website visitors clicking ‘back’ or ‘x’ and leaving your site altogether – turn this moment into an opportunity. A custom 404 page can guide, engage, and even entertain your website visitors, helping them know all is not lost. Ignore customising your 404 page and you run the risk of a high-exit rate from your site, negative search engine rankings and lost sales from a poor user experience on your website.

Don’t make these 404 Page Mistakes

How do you design a 404 page so that, should the dreaded broken links message appear, it’s not costing you customers? Let’s start with a few ‘what not to do’s’.

❌ Remove your navigation or footer – these links will help people navigate to other areas of your site.

❌ Use technical jargon – don’t confuse them further. Ever asked someone in the street for directions, and left more unsure of the right direction to take?
❌ Have no call-to-actions or links to next steps – the content or products they were looking for might not be there anymore, help them find what they were looking for.
❌ Use completely different branding, colours, imagery or fonts – we want them to know they’re still on the right site.

❌ Make your messaging bland and boring – ditch the status quo, and make it an interesting brand-experience. (Don’t worry… we’re about to show you how!).

Best Practices for a Killer 404 Page

A well-designed 404 page should do more than just apologise for the missing content—it should provide solutions and keep visitors clicking to their next link destination. Here’s how:

Clear, Friendly Messaging – Skip the robotic “Page Not Found” and opt for a conversational approach.
Helpful Navigation – Include links to popular content, favourite products, categories or services, so users can find what they need.
Branded Design – Maintain consistency with your fonts, colours, and imagery.
A Touch of Humor – Lighten the mood with a clever joke, witty one-liner, or a playful GIF. Try headlines like:
→ We Sent a Search Party... But This Page is Nowhere to Be Found!
→ Poof! This Page Vanished Like a Magic Trick Gone Wrong!
→ 404: The Page You’re Looking for is Playing Hide & Seek!
→ Well, This is Awkward... But Hey, You Look Great Today!
Search Functionality – If possible, add a search bar so visitors can quickly locate what they’re looking for.
Contact/Get in Touch – Make it easy for people to reach out to you by linking to your contact form or embedding a live chat.

Fun and Engaging 404 Page Ideas

A great 404 page can deliver a great brand experience, turning an ‘oops’ into an ‘oooh’.

Engage and delight your website visitors that have stumbled down a dark, abandoned alley of your website by:

Making your 404 page funny – Use humorous copy or quirky visuals to keep visitors entertained.
Adding Interactive Elements – Some brands include small games or animations to surprise users.
Creative Graphics – Design an eye-catching illustration that matches your brand’s personality.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

Disney

Disney uses a well-known character and a reference from its movie, Monsters Inc. to create a humorous moment.

AirBnb

AirBnb utilises an animated character to create an engaging moment.

Cheerios

Cheerios utilises their product in an interesting way, to keep brand recognition and give their 404 page more personality.

Creating a High-Impact 404 Page in Squarespace

If you’re using Squarespace, you can easily craft a branded 404 page that keeps visitors on your site rather than bouncing away. Here’s how to do it:

Creating a custom 404 Page in Squarespace is simple:

Create a New Page – Head to your Squarespace dashboard, navigate to Pages > Not Linked, and add a new page.
Customise Your Message – Use friendly, on-brand language, humor, or visuals to make the experience feel less like a roadblock and more like a scenic detour.
Provide Navigation Options – Add links to key areas like your homepage, blog, services, or contact page.
Set Your 404 Page – Go to Settings > Advanced > 404 Page and select your newly created page.
Test the Page – Enter incorrect URLs to make sure your custom 404 page works as expected.

SEO and 404 Pages: What You Need to Know

While 404 pages won’t directly impact your SEO rankings, they can affect user experience, which in turn influences your site’s performance. Here’s what to keep in mind:

Fix Broken Links – Regularly audit your site for broken links using Google Search Console or tools like Broken Link Checker.
Redirect When Necessary – If a page has been removed permanently, or you’ve changed its URL, set up a 301 redirect to guide users to a relevant alternative.
Encourage Exploration – A well-structured 404 page can reduce bounce rates and keep visitors engaged.

Top tip: Be sure to hide your 404 from search results, as it’s not SEO relevant content.

A 404 error doesn’t have to be a dead end—it can be an opportunity to delight visitors, showcase your brand’s personality, and keep users engaged.

By crafting a well-designed, engaging, and helpful 404 page in Squarespace, you ensure that even when visitors take a wrong turn, they still end up where they need to be. Ready to optimise your 404 page? Follow these steps, get creative, and turn a website mishap into a memorable moment!

Join us in Style School

We’ll teach you exactly how we create our custom 404 pages to optimise engagement and keep clients clicking through to the right content. Plus, we’ll teach you how to setup redirects within your Squarespace site, so that you can reduce broken links.

JOIN TODAY FOR JUST $9/MONTH →