Microsoft Wants To Replace “404” Error With Live Search Results

Microsoft has said that between “2 and 10 percent” of site searches lead to a 404 error page. The company thus decided to create what it’s calling the “Web Page Error Toolkit.” It’s a web application that uses either Live Search (or another engine of the site owner’s choice) to provide a custom error page with alternative search results relevant to the subject of the user’s query.

Here’s the way the new error page would look:

It appears much less like an error page and more like a search results page — a much better user experience. It’s also a way for users to become indirectly exposed to Live Search (should publishers choose that engine).

Though there’s no monetization on this page, that’s certainly, hypothetically possible in the future.