Smart Custom 404 Error Page vs Nandann AI Smart 404 Redirects – Auto Fix Broken Links & Typos

Bringing visitors to your website takes time and effort. Every visitor is important. The default 404 error page of most themes does not provide any information on what to find on your site. A first-time visitor, who does not know you, is left in a dead end and leaves your website. Set up a helpful custom 404 error page to keep them on your site! This handy plugin allows you to easily create your own 404 error page without any effort and it works with almost every theme. Out of Retirement! NerdPress has adopted Smart Custom 404 Page! Read the announcement here. We’ve been fans of this plugin for many years, and we’re grateful for Peter’s many years of service to the community. Peter retired from plugin development in October 2023, so we’ve jumped in to help ensure this plugin continues to work well now and in the future. Usage Create your custom 404 error page just like any other page using the WordPress Editor (Pages > Add New). Then go to Appearance > 404 Error Page and select the created page as your custom 404 error page. That’s it! Why use this plugin? Unlike similar plugins the 404page plugin does not create redirects. That’s quite important because a correct code 404 is delivered which tells search engines that the page does not exist and has to be removed from the index. Additionally, the 404page plugin does not create additional server requests. Requirements The only requirement for this plugin is that you change the Permalink Structure in Settings > Permalinks to anything else but “Plain.” This also activates the WordPress 404 error handling. Block & Shortcode Block The Plugin offers a block “URL causing 404 error” for the block-based editor to show the URL that caused the error. The block offers three display options: “Page” to show the page including path ( e.g. does/not/exist ) “Domain Path” to show the URL without protocol and parameters ( e.g. example.com/does/not/exist ) “Full” to show the complete URL ( e.g. https://example.com/does/not/exist?p=1 ) Shortcode The Plugin offers a shortcode “pp_404_url” for the classic editor to show the URL that caused the error. There are three possible options: [pp_404_url page] to show the page including path ( e.g. does/not/exist ) [pp_404_url domainpath] to show the URL without protocol and parameters ( e.g. example.com/does/not/exist ) [pp_404_url] or [pp_404_url full] to show the complete URL ( e.g. https://example.com/does/not/exist?p=1 ) Plugin Privacy Information This plugin does not set cookies This plugin does not collect or store any data This plugin does not send any data to external servers For developers Action Hook The plugin adds an action hook 404page_after_404 which you can use to add extra functionality. The exact position the action occurs after an 404 error is detected depends on the Operating Method. Your function must not generate any output. There are no parameters. Constant If the 404page plugin is installed and activated it defines the PHP constant PP_404. Check existence of it to detect the 404page plugin. Functions The Plugin provides the following functions: pp_404_is_active() to check if there is a custom 404 page selected and the selected page exists pp_404_get_page_id() to get the ID of the 404 page pp_404_get_all_page_ids() to get an array of page IDs in all languages pp_404_get_the_url( $type ) to get the URL that caused the 404 error Parameter $type string Optional “page” to get the page including path ( e.g. does/not/exist ) “domainpath” to get the URL without protocol and parameters ( e.g. example.com/does/not/exist ) “full” (default) to get the complete URL ( e.g. https://example.com/does/not/exist?p=1 ) Native Mode If you are a theme developer you can add native support for the 404page plugin to your theme for full control.

AI Smart 404 Redirect is an intelligent WordPress plugin that goes beyond simple 404 redirects. Instead of blindly sending all broken links to your homepage, it uses advanced AI algorithms to analyze the requested URL and find the most relevant page on your site. Key Features 🧠 AI-Powered Smart Matching * Analyzes URL keywords and matches them with your content * Finds the most relevant page based on titles, slugs, and content * Assigns confidence scores to ensure accuracy 🔤 Typo Detection * Automatically detects and corrects typos in URLs * Uses Levenshtein distance algorithm for precise matching * Configurable tolerance levels (1-5 character differences) 📊 Comprehensive Analytics * Beautiful dashboard with statistics and trends * Track all 404 errors with detailed information * View redirect types and match scores * 7-day trend chart 📧 Email Notifications * Receive periodic reports (daily, weekly, or monthly) * Beautiful HTML email templates * Detailed statistics and recommendations ⚙️ Flexible Configuration * Choose between AI matching, homepage redirect, or custom URL * Set keyword matching thresholds (0-100%) * Configure typo tolerance * SEO-friendly 301/302/307 redirects 🎯 Smart Fallback System * When no smart match is found, redirects to your chosen fallback * Prevents infinite redirect loops * Exclude media files from logging 🔒 Privacy & Performance * Tracks visitor IP and referrer for analysis * Automatic log cleanup based on retention settings * Optimized database queries * No external API calls – everything runs on your server How It Works Detection: When a visitor encounters a 404 error, the plugin captures the requested URL Analysis: The AI algorithm extracts keywords and analyzes the URL structure Matching: It searches your site for similar pages, posts, categories, or tags Scoring: Each potential match is scored based on relevance Redirect: The visitor is redirected to the most relevant page Use Cases URL Structure Changes: Automatically redirect visitors when you change your permalink structure Typos: Fix common typos in manually typed URLs Old Content: Redirect to similar content when pages are deleted External Links: Handle broken external links pointing to your site SEO Improvement: Reduce bounce rate from 404 errors Pro Features All features are included in the free version! We believe in providing value to the WordPress community. Support For support, feature requests, or bug reports: * Email: [email protected] * Website: https://nandann.com * Subject: WordPress Development Help Request Professional WordPress development and troubleshooting services available. Expert solutions for complex WordPress challenges including custom development, site migrations, security audits, and performance optimization. Privacy This plugin does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data to external services. All 404 logs and analytics are stored locally in your WordPress database. Email notifications are sent using your WordPress site’s configured mail server. The plugin collects and stores the following information locally in your WordPress database: – Requested URL – Redirected URL – Match type and score – IP address – Referrer URL – User agent string This data is used solely for analytics and improving redirect accuracy. You can configure automatic deletion of old logs in the settings. The plugin does not: – Send data to external servers – Use third-party APIs – Track users across sites – Share data with third parties About the Developer Prakhar Bhatia is a professional WordPress developer and troubleshooter with extensive experience in: WordPress Troubleshooting: Expert diagnosis and resolution of complex WordPress issues, performance optimization, and security hardening Custom Development: Bespoke WordPress plugins, themes, and custom functionality tailored to specific business needs Site Migration & Hosting: Seamless website migrations, hosting optimization, and server configuration for peak performance Security & Maintenance: Comprehensive security audits, malware removal, and ongoing maintenance to keep sites secure Nandann Creative Agency specializes in WordPress development solutions for businesses of all sizes. Contact: [email protected] | Website: https://nandann.com Credits Built with modern WordPress development practices. Developed by Prakhar Bhatia at Nandann Creative Agency.