Error Pages

Error Pages

Error pages are a great way to give your site a human touch when your users need it most.

What are they?

When a user tries to go somewhere on your site, where there is actually no page, they will get a “404 Error” page.

How to make good error pages

How about this, try Netflix and Marvel.  You’ll notice these are both to the point.  They are also both helpful.  Marvel offers suggestions for how to get back to where you were or search for what you're looking for.  Netflix offers up its homepage. They both make light of the situation using human language. 

Now, it is important to keep audience in mind.  You are a U of M department, so you should maintain some level of professional language.  Here are some guidelines:

Be authentic: Would you actually say to someone, “The server has encountered a 404 error, and can’t process your request…. blah blah blah”?  Probably not.

Be engaging: Don’t just tell them you can’t find the page, try and help them find what they are looking for. This can include referencing the navigation, putting up a site map, or even giving contact info.

Be specific: What can they do to remedy the problem?  Helping them find the correct page is a great way to start.

Be appropriate: Try and maintain the language of your site.  Hypothetically, if you are a child care provider you might want to be “cutesy.” For example, “OOPS, we wost our page.”  If you’re a federal land-grant university, you probably want to be more professional.

Be polite: The best way to do this might just be to admit fault, even if it isn’t your fault.  How about “Sorry, we couldn’t find the page you were looking for.”

So what should it say? Just be short, simple, and useful, while free of techno-jargon. 

So how about…“Sorry, we couldn’t find that page.  Try the navigation to find what you’re looking for.  If that still doesn’t work, email us at xx@xxx.xxx and we’ll see if we can help you out.”

How do I set it up?

Submit a Project Request Form.