How to Create a Custom 404 Page in Squarespace: Boost Engagement!
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How to Create a Custom 404 Page in Squarespace?
Your site automatically displays a 404 or Not Found error message when the server is unable to locate a page, usually due to a dead link or incorrect URL.
Customizing your site's 404 page is a great way to let your visitors know what went wrong while retaining the unique aesthetic of your site.
View your 404 page
How you view your 404 page depends on which version of Squarespace your site is on:
Open the Pages panel.
Scroll to the bottom and click System Pages.
Click 404 Page.
Your 404 page is automatically set to System Default. This default page lets visitors know why the content may not be appearing, and includes links to your site's homepage and search page to help them find the content they're looking for.
Quick Fix
Create a custom 404 page
To create a custom 404 page that matches the unique style of the rest of your site:
- Create a new page and place it in the Not linked section of your Pages panel.
- View your current 404 page, then use the drop-down menu to select the customized page.
- On your custom 404 page, include an error message, alerting visitors the page they're looking for can't be found. You may also want to include links to your homepage and search page, like on the default 404 page.
Custom 404 pages and SEO
If you build a custom 404 page, you might see a "Soft 404" alert when you verify your site with Google Search Console. This doesn't mean there's an issue with your site or its visibility to search engines.
Google flags these pages because they see a contradiction: an indexable page that says it doesn't exist. To remove the alert, use the System default 404 page or use no-index tags to hide the custom 404 page from search engines.
