How do I configure custom error messages?

To configure a custom error page, you must create a file called .htaccess

The name of the file is important.  Ensure after you have uploaded the file that the file name is in fact .htaccess and not .htaccess.txt.
Using a text editor such as Windows Notepad or Mac’s Textmate, enter the following line in a new file:

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1	ErrorDocument 404 http://www.yourdomain.com/404.html

This will redirect any visitor to your web site to the URL you have entered, in this example that url is http://www.yourdomain.com/404.html.

Common error numbers

Here are the common error numbers and what their meaning is so that you may tailor your error pages accordingly.

• 401: Authorization Required
  A password protected area of the web site was accessed, but the correct user name and password were not provided.
• 403: Forbidden
  The page is being blocked by the web server and the visitor is not allowed to see it.
• 404: Page Not Found
  The page that the visitor was attempting to access does not exist.  This is typically a broken link or an old web page that has since been removed.
• 500: Internal Server Error
  There are a number of reasons for this error, however they are all due to an error within the web server where a script or application has crashed and the web server could not handle the error gracefully.

To configure multiple error pages add each ErrorDocument line (or directive) on it’s own line.  Below is an example that you may use keeping in mind that you must edit the URL to your error page.

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1	ErrorDocument 401 http://www.yourdomain.com/401.html

2	ErrorDocument 403 http://www.yourdomain.com/403.html

3	ErrorDocument 404 http://www.yourdomain.com/404.html

4

ErrorDocument 500 http://www.yourdomain.com/500.html

Source netfirm.com