Customize an Error Page
Steps
Each of the four error pages is a wiki page that does not exist until you create it. Create the one that matches the case you want to change:
| Case | Page to create | Where | HTTP status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The wiki does not exist | XWiki.WikiDoesNotExist | the main wiki, because the template runs with the main wiki as its context | 404 |
| The page does not exist | XWiki.DocumentDoesNotExist | the wiki concerned | 404, and 400 when the same page answers a template that cannot be evaluated |
| The attachment does not exist | XWiki.AttachmentDoesNotExist | the wiki concerned | 404 |
| Access is denied | XWiki.AccessDenied | the wiki concerned | 403, or 401 when the request used basic authentication |
You need administration rights on the wiki you create the page in.
- Open the edit URL of the page you need (/bin/edit/XWiki/DocumentDoesNotExist for the missing-page case), which creates it.
- Write what your readers should see, and save. Anything a page can hold works.
- Open a page that does not exist. Your content is now what the reader gets, and the response is still a 404, so search engines and monitoring see no change.
FAQ
Can I replace the whole template instead of its content?
Yes, for three of the four cases: xwiki.wiki_exception (default wikidoesnotexist), xwiki.access_exception (accessdenied) and xwiki.attachment_exception (attachmentdoesnotexist) name the template each case renders, and xwiki.user_exception and xwiki.invalid_url_exception do the same for the inactive-user and invalid-URL screens. None of them appears in the shipped xwiki.cfg, and there is none for the missing-page screen, which comes from the skin. A replacement template runs instead of everything described here, so it is a skin-level change rather than a configuration one.
Where do I put the page in a subwiki?
In the subwiki itself, except for XWiki.WikiDoesNotExist: by the time that screen is rendered the wiki is precisely what could not be found, so it is read from the main wiki.
