A 404 page that helps visitors on

Template for a 404 page with a clear explanation, good ways forward and the correct status code. Paste it into an AI tool of your choice, which then writes a 404 page.

Topic: SEO & website copy
Type: Template
Level: Beginner
Time: about 6 min

Results depend on the tool, the model and what you enter.

Result preview

Example: written by our editors, not real AI output.

Tab title: Page not found | Example Bike Shop Heading: This page is not here (any more) Text: It may have moved, or the address may contain a typo. Here is where to go next: Search: "Search for parts, e.g. 28-inch inner tube" Links: Spare parts · Commuter accessories · Workshop booking · Basket Broken link? Tell us briefly where you found it. Technical: status 404, no redirect, normal navigation

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WebsiteWhat kind of website?

GoalsWhere do most visitors want to go?

ToneWhich tone?

Your prompt

Draft a helpful 404 page for our website.
Website: [Website]
Visitors' main goals: [Goals]
Tone: [Tone]
Deliver: 1. A heading and two short sentences that explain the page was not found and why that can happen, without blaming the visitor. 2. A search box with placeholder text. 3. Three to five links to the most important goals, each with a short description. 4. A note on how to report a broken link. 5. A page title for the browser tab. 6. A short technical checklist: the page returns status code 404, not 200, does not redirect automatically to the home page, has the same navigation as the rest of the site and loads quickly. Keep the copy short and friendly; use jokes only if they suit the tone and exclude nobody.

Take particular care to never blame visitors and make sure the page returns a real 404 status instead of a redirect.

Before you answer, check: Are all instructions met? If key information is missing or a placeholder in square brackets is still in the text, ask instead of guessing. Mark assumptions as assumptions.

Draft a helpful 404 page for our website.
Website: [Website]
Visitors' main goals: [Goals]
Tone: [Tone]
Deliver: 1. A heading and two short sentences that explain the page was not found and why that can happen, without blaming the visitor. 2. A search box with placeholder text. 3. Three to five links to the most important goals, each with a short description. 4. A note on how to report a broken link. 5. A page title for the browser tab. 6. A short technical checklist: the page returns status code 404, not 200, does not redirect automatically to the home page, has the same navigation as the rest of the site and loads quickly. Keep the copy short and friendly; use jokes only if they suit the tone and exclude nobody.

Take particular care to never blame visitors and make sure the page returns a real 404 status instead of a redirect.

Before you answer, check: Are all instructions met? If key information is missing or a placeholder in square brackets is still in the text, ask instead of guessing. Mark assumptions as assumptions.

This is an instruction for an AI, not the result itself.

Where this prompt works

These AI tools are a good fit for this prompt:

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How to use it

Fill in the fields or tap a suggestion. Leave out names, addresses and other personal data.
Copy the finished prompt into an AI tool of your choice.
After building it, open an address that does not exist and check in the browser's developer tools that the status code really is 404.

Why does this work?

Visitors usually reach a 404 page through old links or typos. A clear explanation and two or three good ways forward keep them on the site, and the correct status code stops search engines from treating the error page as real content.

Tips

If a deleted page has a genuine successor, it needs a redirect, not the 404 page.

You may use our prompts freely, including at work. Please do not republish them as your own collection. We give no warranty for AI results; check them yourself. Terms of use

A 404 page that helps visitors on

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