Not found pages
Testimonials on Your 404 Page
A visitor who lands on your 404 page followed a link that let them down. A search box and a few useful links come first. A single line of customer proof underneath can remind them why they came, as long as the page still answers with a real 404 status, so search engines keep treating it as missing. Decide whether proof belongs there, and in what form.
- Decide if proof helps your lost visitors
- Pick a form that stays out of the way
- Keep the server sending a 404 status
The problem, solved
Proof for someone who took a wrong turn
Visitors hit a dead link and leave
An error message with no way forward ends the visit, even for people who arrived interested.
With StoryProof: Under the search box and main links, add a compact StoryProof widget. The embed is a div and a script, so it fits any 404 template you can edit.
Will more content cause a soft 404?
Google’s documentation describes a soft 404 as an error style page that returns a success code. The fix is the status code, not less content.
With StoryProof: Keep the server answering 404 for missing URLs. The widget adds testimonials to the page body and has no part in the status code.
We do not know what they were after
A lost visitor could have wanted any product or service, so specific stories may miss.
With StoryProof: Make a small widget for this page and choose broad, brand level testimonials that speak to working with you at all.
Our 404 is a bare host file
Many hosts and CDNs serve a standalone error file that does not include the site footer, so a footer script never loads there.
With StoryProof: Put both lines of the embed into that file. Elsewhere the script can load once in the footer and fill every div.
A widget feels too much here
Some brands want the error page calm and short.
With StoryProof: Use one line of text that links to your Wall of Love, the hosted page of your approved testimonials.
Flip the switch to see how StoryProof handles each one.
Placement planner
What, if anything, should your 404 page show?
Answer four questions. Check your analytics for where 404 visits come from before you start.
Answers are scored in your browser and not stored.
A 404 page, top to bottom
Live preview
A layout small enough for an error page
This is the badge layout the embed script draws. Anything shown in it is sample data, not StoryProof customers.
5.09 reviews
In StoryProof
Add proof to the 404 template
Step 1 of 4
Make a widget for this page
Pick a compact layout, such as the rating badge or an avatar strip, and choose two to five broad testimonials.
Step 2 of 4
Add it below the recovery links
Paste the div under the search box and links. In a standalone error file, paste the script too.
Step 3 of 4
Confirm the status code
Request a made up URL and check the network tab: the response must still be 404, not 200.
Step 4 of 4
Check it on a phone
The way forward should stay above the fold, with the proof below it.
Before you start
Keep expectations straight
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
No search benefit claimed
Google’s documentation says content on URLs returning a 4xx code is ignored. Proof here is for people only.
- 02
Status codes are your server’s job
The widget cannot set or fix a status code. Check your platform returns 404 for missing pages.
- 03
Single page apps need care
Client side routing often returns 200 for every path. Google suggests redirecting to a URL that returns a real 404, or adding a noindex tag to the error view.
- 04
Not a substitute for redirects
Moved pages should redirect to their replacements. A testimonial will not find the page someone wanted.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Does adding a testimonial widget turn my 404 into a soft 404?
Not by itself. A soft 404 is about the status code: an error page answered with a success code. Keep the server returning 404 and the page content can be helpful.
Which testimonials suit a 404 page?
Broad ones about working with you, short enough to read in a few seconds. Save product specific stories for product pages.
Should the 404 page link to our Wall of Love?
It can, as a quiet secondary link under the main ways forward. It should not be the most prominent link on the page.
Will Google index the testimonials on my 404 page?
No. Google ignores the content of URLs that return a 4xx code, which is why proof here is only about the visitor in front of it.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Turn a dead end into a second chance
A small widget under your recovery links reminds lost visitors why they came.
Sources
- How HTTP status codes, and network and DNS errors affect Google Search, Google Search Central. Checked 2026-11-14.
- Understand JavaScript SEO basics, Google Search Central. Checked 2026-11-14.
Last updated 2026-11-14.