While it is always the goal that your viewers never get an error page from your website, it is best to be prepared. A 404 Error indicates that the file or page requested cannot be found. Unlike a server error, a 404 or Not Found error occurs when access to the site is granted, but the address called for is missing. This type of error can occur for a number of reasons; sometimes it is simply a matter of the viewer spelling your URL wrong, and other times it is due to either external or internal broken links. A broken link is usually the result of updating and/or moving pages and files around on your website. Read on for tips on creating and executing a unique and helpful 404 page.
I had a brief moment of dread earlier this week when I visited one of the sites I manage, only to find a disturbing “That page cannot be displayed” error page. Like I said, though, my fear was short lived thanks to today’s featured sites. These three websites reliably (as far as I can tell) test and report whether a web page is down universally or it is your own computer/system creating the error. 
