# Creating custom error pages in cPanel

> Create custom error pages in cPanel, such as a branded 404 page, to help visitors who hit a missing or blocked page.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/cpanel/advanced/creating-custom-error-pages-in-cpanel/

When visitors encounter errors on your website (such as a missing page or unauthorized access), they see an error page. By default, Apache displays a generic error page. With **cPanel**, you can create **custom error pages** to provide a branded, user‑friendly experience.

## Why Use Custom Error Pages?

- Improve user experience with helpful messages.
- Maintain consistent branding across your site.
- Provide navigation links back to your homepage or other resources.
- Reduce visitor frustration when errors occur.

## Steps to Create a Custom Error Page

1. **Log in to cPanel.**
2. On the **Tools page → Advanced section**, click **Error Pages**.
3. Under **Step 1**, select the domain you want to configure.
4. Under **Step 2**, choose the error code you want to customize (e.g., 400, 401, 403, 404, 500).
5. In the editor, type the HTML you want to use for the error page.

   - You can insert variables for dynamic content using the links above the editor.
   - Example:

     ```
     <h1>404 Not Found</h1>
     <p>The requested page, <!--#echo var="REQUEST_URI" -->, is not available.</p>
     <a href="https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/">Return to Homepage</a>
     ```
6. Click **Save**.

   - cPanel saves the custom error page as `error_number.shtml` in your domain’s document root.

## Deleting a Custom Error Page

1. **Log in to cPanel.**
2. On the **Tools page → Files section**, click **File Manager**.
3. Navigate to the domain’s document root (`public_html`).
4. Locate the error page file (e.g., `404.shtml`).
5. Delete the file.

   - Apache will revert to showing the default error page.

> **Note:**
- Custom error pages are optional, Apache will always display an error page, even if you don’t customize it.
- Use clear language and provide navigation options to help visitors recover from errors.
- You can create custom pages for multiple error codes.