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How to create a custom error page?

First, what is the importance of creating a custom error page? By default, most servers will display an ugly, annoying error page if something goes wrong.  It's a good way to loose your visitor.  It's recommended to create a custom error page to help retain your traffic and show professionalism.

Now, how do you create a custom error page using Joomla and SerrBizSEF?

Here are the steps.

1) Create a new STATIC content item.
2) Title it whatever you like "error". Write whatever message you want to display. Publish. Save.
3) Go to menus > mainmenu > and LINK TO STATIC content.
4) DO NOT PUBLISH. Save.
5) The mainmenu should now show an unpublished menu item called "error". Click it.
6) In this control panel you can see the root level URL for the menu item. It should be something like:

index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9&Itemid=

Copy it.

7) In a browser window pull up the URL.

http://www.yourdomain.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9&Itemid=

8) The new page should show up. Hold the CONTROL KEY on your KEYBOARD down and click the BROWSERS refresh button.  The page should refresh and you should see that a SEF has been created.  It should be:

http://www.yourdomain/error.html

9) Copy the FULL SEF URL.
10) Open the SerrBizSEF control panel > configuration.
11) Paste the full URL into the error page field.
12) Save.
13) Now test.  In a browser call up a page in you not doesn't exist.

http://www.yourdomain.com/serrbizerrortest

You should see your custom error page.

14) Now, click the SEF URL icon the SerrBizSEF, and find the /error.html.
15) Uncheck the robots index box. This changes the robots index tag to NOINDEX, and it prevents good spiders from CACHING your custom error page.

Note: As time permits we will upgrade the system to give you a drop menu of you Joomla content pages. Until then, use the steps above.

Note: You could also just make a true HTML page with your custom error message, load to the server, and then add a full URL to the SerrBizSEF error page field.

Note: At this time, the custom error page server header information will return a error code of 200 OK.  This conflicts with Google Webmaster Tools Site Verification.  Read this for a work around (click).
 
Note: Since you don't really need the menu item in steps 5/6, DELETE the menu item created.  This will keep your menus neat and tidy.