# Should we make our own 404 pages for our beautiful bespoke sites?

**URL:** <https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890>\
**Category:** RapidWeaver Classic\
**Created:** [January 11, 2016, 10:49am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890 "2016-01-11T10:49:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Doobox](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/doobox/32/32373_2.png) [@Doobox](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Doobox)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890/21 "2016-01-31T19:19:36Z")

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> [@swilliam](#):
>
> What are the benefits of doing this -vs- just adding the full url of the 404 page to the .htaccess file?

This makes me think you think that the htaccess file is only read if there is an error?  
That is not the case.

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**Author:** ![jakobssystems](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/jakobssystems/32/2157_2.png) [@jakobssystems](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/jakobssystems)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890/22 "2016-01-31T20:23:30Z")

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![](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/realmacsoftware1/original/2X/3/39ed3175e6fc4e40d54f1db6b5c81e52f87198cb.jpg)

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**Author:** ![swilliam](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/swilliam/32/14799_2.png) [@swilliam](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/swilliam)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890/23 "2016-01-31T21:14:01Z")

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No, I just wanted more info, there are already several lines in the .htaccess because of site move/rebuild and a lot of 301 redirects.

Was just curious if putting in the full url to the 404 page was a problem.

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**Author:** ![Doobox](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/doobox/32/32373_2.png) [@Doobox](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Doobox)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890/24 "2016-01-31T21:22:03Z")

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> [@swilliam](#):
>
> Was just curious if putting in the full url to the 404 page was a problem.

Well you could do this :

RewriteEngine on  
RewriteCond %{REQUEST\_FILENAME} !-f  
RewriteRule . [http://www.yoursite.com/404.html](http://www.yoursite.com/404.html) [L,R=301]

But there is no need.  
Without line 2 that checks for a request to a non existent file, I can’t see how else you’d incorporate a full url to a 404.

Or if you mean if you did this :

ErrorDocument 404 [http://www.yoursite.com/404.html](http://www.yoursite.com/404.html)

Would that solve the page relative links issue, then no. That would not change that issue.

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**Author:** ![swilliam](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/swilliam/32/14799_2.png) [@swilliam](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/swilliam)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890/25 "2016-01-31T22:19:40Z")

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The second one is what I was referring to.  
When I did that it seemed to fix the problem, I will however , change it to your instructions.

Thanks

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**Author:** ![rollemtam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9a28c/32.png) [@rollemtam](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/rollemtam)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890/26 "2017-01-31T21:47:05Z")

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Thanks Gary, lifesaver!

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**Author:** ![dan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/dan/32/28516_2.png) [@dan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/dan)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/should-we-make-our-own-404-pages-for-our-beautiful-bespoke-sites/4890/28 "2026-08-12T21:13:12Z")

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