In this article, you will learn:

• How to recognize Error 404
• How to troubleshoot Error 404
• How to set up your own 404 Error page
• Frequently asked questions

A 404 error means that the file or other resource is unavailable. If the entire page is missing, you can recognize Error 404 by the large Not Found heading at the top of the page. Below the heading you will find a more detailed description of the error.

Some sites may have their own 404 page set up. To set up such a custom page, follow the chapter Custom 404 Error Page.

Images and other resources that failed to load also return a 404 error. You can find a complete list in the browser’s developer tools (typically the F12 key) in the Console, or on the Network tab. Refresh the page to load the Network data.

It is similar to Error 403 Forbidden, but is usually missing less important files than index.html, index.php, or .htaccess.

If a file on your Webhosting does not load correctly, follow these steps:

1. Check FTP to make sure that the file actually exists.
2. Also check the file size – a damaged or partially uploaded file can also cause Error 404.
3. Check the path to the given file, i.e. whether its actual location matches the location in the web application code.

If you’ use’re using content from another source (most often fonts, scripts, css), check its availability (current and long-term). If the source is unavailable for a long time, consider changing it.

Another common source of problems is mixed content, where the website itself loads via the secure HTTPS protocol, but some resources try to load via insecure HTTP.

Go through the site’s source files and update all http:// addresses to https://.

If you use a content management system such as WordPress, use the mixed content repair tool (for WordPress: Tools >> Site Health).

If the Error 404 appears on a Webhosting with a WEDOS Global domain, check if at least 1 hour has passed since the HTTPS certificate activation. If not, wait and try to reload the page without cache using Ctrl + Shift + R.

To display a custom error message if the page is not found, follow these steps:

1. Create a custom error page, such as 404.html, and upload ti to the FTP root of your site (the same location as your index.html or index.php file).
2. In that same folder, open (or create) the .htaccess file.
3. At the end of the .htaccess file contents, paste the following code:

ErrorDocument 404 /404.html

If your document is named something other than 404.html, change the file name in the code.

Question: None of the solutions helped me, what should I do now?
Answer: If the 404 error is caused by a file on the Webhosting, activate temporary FTP access for support according to this guide and ask us to investigate. Please provide the name of the site and the addresses of the unavailable files.
We cannot check external sources in any way, ask their operator to check. If they request the Webhosting IP address, copy it from the Service Addresses table in the service details.

Question: Does Error 404 occur elsewhere than at WEDOS?
Answer: Yes, this is a common error caused by unavailability of files on the server. The server (web hosting) works. To fix the error, upload the missing files to the website and ensure the availability of resources via the correct protocol.