Smart Custom 404 Error Page
by NerdPress · Uncategorized
Also makes 3 other plugins · 190.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
Create a custom 404 error page the easy way! No coding, and no redirects.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
100K+
≈190K estimated
Momentum
+34%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Support resolution scores 0/100. Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
89 health vs 58 average across 25,737 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.6%
of downloads still active
At least 100K of 2.8M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,770 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Uncategorized plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 1 release in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 12 reviews to 2026-04-12Reviewers call it simple to set up and say it just works, with one older complaint that it altered a theme's stylesheet.
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 163 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 1,197 reviews, smoothed to 4.87★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
41
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
26%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-0.1
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| not found your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| error handling | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| error page | #2 | #2 | down 1 |
| 404 error your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| page not found error | #1 | #1 | — |
| custom 404 your tag | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| error | #3 | #3 | down 1 |
| 404 page your tag | #4 | #3 | 0 |
| errors | #4 | #3 | down 1 |
| page not found | #4 | #3 | 0 |
| error 404 | #4 | #2 | up 1 |
| custom 404 page | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| found | #3 | #3 | down 2 |
| page error | #5 | #3 | down 1 |
| php errors | #10 | #5 | 0 |
| protocol | #10 | #7 | down 2 |
| page 404 | #6 | #3 | 0 |
| coding | #15 | #9 | 0 |
| smart | #23 | #11 | — |
| parameter | #14 | #6 | down 2 |
94 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 67 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Your five tags are all earning their place. Each gets you onto page 1 of its own search, so none is worth giving up. “error 404”, “errors” and “page not found” (#4, #4 and #4 untagged) would be the next worth testing if a slot frees up.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 196.4K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
1
releases in the last 12 months
5mo ago
latest release · v11.4.8 · 21 May 2026
3
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 91% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “100K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 4.1 years ago; the previous band took 4.4 years to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 23 Apr 2016
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ meeresschutz7mo ago
Does the job just fine, simple and easy.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ deadko8mo ago
molt útil, abans tenia perduda la pagina
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ bigportal11mo ago
Semplice e funzionale
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Veru1.2y ago
I am satisfied with the plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ panon1.2y ago
Awesome. It works like a charm.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ urbangames1.4y ago
J’en ai profité pour créer une page humoriste pour les visiteurs non sollicités :
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Wingers5741.6y ago
Followed instructions, got the page built and configured it to go to the page when a 404 error occurred. However it wrecks the Divi theme by changing the CSS. I have switched to something else which does not affect the theme. This plugin was easy to set up, so no problem with that. Shame it is affecting the style sheet settings.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ spectraemail1.7y ago
Simple to install and configure, and it does just what it says it would.. What more can I ask for.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- 2024-10-02 Version 11.4.8 Address potential XSS vulnerability. Thanks to Webbernaut for responsible disclosure. 11.4.8
- 2024-09-16 Version 11.4.7 NerdPress has adopted Smart Custom 404 Page! Read the announcement here. Tested up to WP 6.6 Modernized direct file access protection and removed closing PHP tags 11.4.7
- 2024-04-17 Version 11.4.6 Bugfix after Cleanup 11.4.6
- 2024-04-16 Version 11.4.5 Cleanup 11.4.5
- 2022-11-05 Version 11.4.3 bugfix for WP 6.1 11.4.3
- 2022-11-01 Version 11.4.2 also add class error404 to body tag if page is called directly plugin renamed 11.4.2
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (11.4.8). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2024-10-03 CVE-2024-9204 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 11.4.7 Patched in 11.4.8
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.6.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 48 languages, 16 at 90% or more
Plus 24 more locales with partial translations.
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
5 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Create a custom 404 error page the easy way! No coding, and no redirects."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("use this", "for developers").
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 13 headings and 5 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,923 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "not found" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2022-10-04 60K+ → 100K+ up after 1617 days in tier
- 2018-05-01 50K+ → 60K+ up after 89 days in tier
- 2018-02-01 40K+ → 50K+ up after 119 days in tier
- 2017-10-05 30K+ → 40K+ up after 107 days in tier
- 2017-06-20 20K+ → 30K+ up after 256 days in tier
- 2016-10-07 10K+ → 20K+ up after 303 days in tier
- 2015-12-09 9K+ → 10K+ up after 55 days in tier
- 2015-10-15 8K+ → 9K+ up after 26 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Page as 404 30+ installs · 4.2★ · 5 shared tags A -
Easy Custom 404 Page — installs · 3.6★ · 4 shared tags -
Colorlib 404 Customizer 5K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
SEO 404 Redirect Manager – 404 pages redirect to homepage — installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags -
Redirect 404 Error Page to Homepage or Custom Page with Logs 10K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags B -
Custom 404 Pro 7K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Smart Custom 404 Error Page into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/404page" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Smart Custom 404 Error Page — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Smart Custom 404 Error Page: 100K+ active installs, 4.9★ (1,197 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/404page
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.