Smart Custom 404 Error Page vs Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements

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.

Building new pages with Gutenberg? Explore VovaBlocks, a focused collection of native marketing and content blocks from the creator of Shortcodes Ultimate. View VovaBlocks → About Shortcodes Ultimate Shortcodes Ultimate is a WordPress shortcode plugin for adding tabs, accordions, buttons, FAQs, sliders, carousels, lightboxes, columns, boxes and other reusable content elements without coding. It is ideal for site owners who want richer content layouts and practical UI elements without switching to a full page builder. Use Shortcodes Ultimate in the Block Editor, Classic Editor, widgets and template files. Generate shortcodes visually, preview the result before inserting it, and reuse the same elements across posts, pages and existing shortcode-based content. Trusted by hundreds of thousands of WordPress sites, Shortcodes Ultimate helps you replace multiple single-purpose UI plugins with one maintained toolkit. Explore live examples What you can build With Shortcodes Ultimate, you can quickly add common WordPress content elements such as: Accordions and FAQ sections Responsive tabs CTA buttons and download buttons Boxes, notes and callouts Columns and layout helpers Sliders and carousels Lightboxes for images and custom content Post lists and dynamic content blocks Spoilers, toggles and expandable content Media embeds and visual content blocks Instead of installing a separate plugin for every small content element, Shortcodes Ultimate gives you one maintained toolkit for everyday WordPress content tasks. Works with modern and classic WordPress workflows Shortcodes Ultimate works with the Block Editor, Classic Editor, widgets and template files. You can insert shortcodes manually, use WordPress shortcode blocks or use the built-in shortcode generator to configure elements visually. This makes the plugin useful for: Site owners who want to improve content without coding Bloggers and affiliate publishers who need reusable CTA and content blocks Agencies and freelancers maintaining multiple WordPress sites Developers who want shortcode-friendly output in templates Existing sites with older content that already uses shortcodes Why use Shortcodes Ultimate? 50+ ready-to-use WordPress shortcodes Visual shortcode generator Live preview Works with the Block Editor and Classic Editor Shortcodes can be used in posts, pages, widgets and template files Responsive elements that work with your theme Built-in Custom CSS editor Developer-friendly hooks and documentation Free version available on WordPress.org Pro version available for advanced shortcodes, extra styles and premium support Why shortcodes still matter in WordPress The WordPress Block Editor is great for visual content editing, but shortcodes are still useful when you need portable, reusable content elements that work across different parts of a WordPress site. Shortcodes are especially helpful when you want to: Reuse the same content element in many posts or pages Add dynamic content inside widgets or templates Maintain older WordPress sites that already use shortcodes Work across Classic Editor and Block Editor workflows Add content elements without switching to a full page builder Keep common UI elements available through a simple text-based syntax Shortcodes Ultimate is designed for these practical workflows. It gives you a large collection of ready-made shortcodes and a visual generator, so you do not need to write shortcode syntax manually unless you want to. Free and Pro The free version of Shortcodes Ultimate includes a large collection of useful shortcodes for everyday WordPress content tasks. Shortcodes Ultimate Pro adds advanced shortcodes, additional styles, Content Slider, Pricing Table, Testimonials, Shortcode Creator, Elementor support and premium support. Compare Free and Pro Useful links Documentation Live Examples Pro features Support