In this article we will discuss how to change the phrasing for the 403, 404, and 500 error pages, which are typically used to deny a user access to a page. They may need to log in or become a customer before they can view the page.
A phrase is customizable text on your community platform. For example, if you wanted to change the “Log in” button to say “Lets go!” you would be changing the phrase. All phrases have a default setting, but almost all language on the platform can be changed.
Usually, you can change text strings right on the community with our live edit too; however, some phrases need to be changed manually on the back end. For this, you will need to know the certain codes, which we will cover below.
To get started:
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Navigate to Control environment → Customization → Phrases
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In the upper right hand corner, click on “Add phrase”
The phrase editor will appear, which is separated by two sections:
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Details: Predetermined codes where the module and key do not change.
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Translations: The customizable text that you’d like your new phrase to say. Here you can use HTML and/or images/gifs.
**IMPORTANT**
To customize error pages, you need to create two SEPARATE phrases. One for the title and one for the body. See below:
Below we will review the exact details needed for the Module and Key sections in the phrase editor.
Error 403
The 403 error is shown when a user tries to view a page they don't have access to. For example, moderator boards or content only available for logged in users.
Title:
Module:Forum
Key: error.403.title
Body:
We recommend creating two separate messages for 403 denied access pages. One to prompt users to login and one for users to be denied access even if they do log in, e.g., pages that only employees or partners can view.
| Prompt user to log in | Denied access regardless of login |
| Module: Forum | Module: Forum |
| error.403.guest | Key: error.403 |
As an example, I’ve included our 403 error phrases below. We have one phrase for the title and two different phrases for the body.
Error 404
The 404 is a “page not found” error page, which is shown when users navigate to an incorrect url, e.g., a topic with a spelling mistake in the URL.
Title:
Module: Forum
Key: error.404.title
Body:
Module: Forum
Key: error.404
Error 500
This is the generic error page shown to users if the platform experiences any form of undisclosed fault e.g., an error during the SSO login process.
Title:
Module: Forum
Key: error.500.title
Body:
Module: Forum
Key: error.500
If you are having issues setting any part of these error pages up you can contact support and we will be happy to assist!
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We noticed some delay in phrases being updated in the last few days. I will check with the team about this, hopefully it is just a temporary thing. If not, we might want to inform you while editing phrases to prevent confusion...
