Title: 404 Page
Last modified: August 20, 2016
---
# 404 Page
* Resolved [robertallen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/robertallen/)
* (@robertallen)
* [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/)
* I noticed the default template has the 404.php inside of it. I heard that it’s
best and more SEO friendly to have the 404 file in the root directory. Is this
true? If so, does anyone know a good plugin that will do this?
Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/page/2/?output_format=md)
* [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
* (@esmi)
* [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267378)
* You could [create your own 404 error page](http://codex.wordpress.org/Creating_an_Error_404_Page).
* Thread Starter [robertallen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/robertallen/)
* (@robertallen)
* [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267410)
* Thank you for the reply. It didn’t specifically tell me if it was best to put
it in the root directory. By best, I mean SEO friendly.
* Do you happen to know? I already wound up creating my own 404.php…just wasn’t
sure to keep it in the theme folder or program it to the root directory.
* [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
* (@esmi)
* [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267411)
* > It didn’t specifically tell me if it was best to put it in the root directory.
* _All_ theme template files are added to your theme’s template folder inside wp-
content/themes.
* [Christine Rondeau](https://wordpress.org/support/users/crondeau/)
* (@crondeau)
* [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267412)
* > Thank you for the reply. It didn’t specifically tell me if it was best to put
> it in the root directory. By best, I mean SEO friendly.
* I’ve never heard of this being better for SEO.
SEO is based on content. Focus
on good content and the seo will follow.
* [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
* (@esmi)
* [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267413)
* The important thing is that the correct headers are sent so that Google knows
that the page is missing. That’s what the example in the page I linked to above
does.
* [diypublic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/diypublic/)
* (@diypublic)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267504)
* I’m trying to create an Error 404 Page with Easel theme.
I think I have tried
everything now buy cannot get it to work. [http://speedingticketfixer.com/page/5/](http://speedingticketfixer.com/page/5/)
Can anybody help me with this?
* Thread Starter [robertallen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/robertallen/)
* (@robertallen)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267505)
* Have you tried copying the page.php theme in your theme folder and make it 404.
php?
* Inside the file there’s an area that says something like:
``
* Replace it with a 404 Error message.
* [diypublic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/diypublic/)
* (@diypublic)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267506)
* worth a try, will get back to you, thanks
* [diypublic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/diypublic/)
* (@diypublic)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267507)
* yes there is already a 404.php in the Easel Theme folder
* Thread Starter [robertallen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/robertallen/)
* (@robertallen)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267508)
* Try this…
* To ensure the server finds your 404 page, add the following line to your .htaccess
file:
* `ErrorDocument 404 /index.php?error=404`
* [diypublic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/diypublic/)
* (@diypublic)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267509)
* Where would I put this line?
ErrorDocument 404 /index.php?error=404
* This is what I see below:
* ```
----------------------------------------------------------------
# -FrontPage-
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.htm
IndexIgnore .htaccess */.??* *~ *# */HEADER* */README* */_vti*
order deny,allow
deny from all
allow from all
order deny,allow
deny from all
AuthName speedingticketfixer.com
AuthUserFile /home/speepcqf/public_html/_vti_pvt/service.pwd
AuthGroupFile /home/speepcqf/public_html/_vti_pvt/service.grp
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.htm
#Redirect 301 /index.html http://speedingticketfixer.com/index.php
# BEGIN W3TC Browser Cache
Header append Vary User-Agent env=!dont-vary
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/css text/x-component application/x-javascript application/javascript text/javascript text/x-js text/html text/richtext image/svg+xml text/plain text/xsd text/xsl text/xml image/x-icon application/json
# DEFLATE by extension
AddOutputFilter DEFLATE js css htm html xml
Header set X-Powered-By "W3 Total Cache/0.9.2.10"
Header set X-Powered-By "W3 Total Cache/0.9.2.10"
Header set X-Powered-By "W3 Total Cache/0.9.2.10"
# END W3TC Browser Cache
# BEGIN WordPress
# END WordPress
-----------------------------------------
```
* Thread Starter [robertallen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/robertallen/)
* (@robertallen)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267510)
* You can essentially put it anywhere, but try putting it between BEGIN and END
WordPress. I’m no .htaccess expert, but I think that might work.
* [diypublic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/diypublic/)
* (@diypublic)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267511)
* Yes it WORKED. Than you very very much.
Regards Les
* Thread Starter [robertallen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/robertallen/)
* (@robertallen)
* [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267512)
* Woo hoo! Glad I could help and that it worked. You’re most welcome.
* [Frederick Townes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fredericktownes/)
* (@fredericktownes)
* [13 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/#post-3267513)
* [@robertallen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/robertallen/), can you mark
this thread as resolved?
Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
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The topic ‘404 Page’ is closed to new replies.
* In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
* 16 replies
* 5 participants
* Last reply from: [robertallen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/robertallen/)
* Last activity: [13 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-page-4/page/2/#post-3267514)
* Status: resolved
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