What are error pages?

Error pages display warning messages when visitors encounter problems while trying to access your site.

Each type of problem has its own HTTP status code. The most common HTTP codes for errors are:

• 400 - Bad Request - The user’s request contains incorrect syntax.
• 401 - Authorization Required - The requested file requires authentication (a username and password).
• 403 - Forbidden - The server will not allow the visitor to access the requested file. If a visitor sees this code in error, check the file's permission settings. You can also check to see whether the file has been protected via cPanel's Index Manager.
• 404 - Wrong Page - The server could not find the file that the visitor requested. This error commonly occurs when a URL is mistyped.
• 500 - Internal Server Error - This error signifies that the server has encountered an unexpected condition. It is a “catch-all” error that appears when no specific information can be gathered by the server regarding the condition. This error often occurs when an application request cannot be fulfilled because the application is misconfigured.

View the cPanel documentation for more information about HTTP codes.

Why create a custom error page?

Creating a custom error page may help explain the error to your site's visitors. You can even include different images and font styles, to brand your error pages.

Create a custom error page

1. Click the Managing menu and select the appropriate domain.
2. Either select an error code from the Edit Common Error Codes tab, or, to edit a page for a different code, click Show All HTTP Error Status Codes and select a code.
3. Click the error code link. A new page will appear.