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Free Plugin by Brad Parbs v1.1.0

Static 404

A WordPress plugin to quickly send a 404 for missing static files.

Static 404

The facts

Active installs
3k+
Price
Free
Last updated
20 Aug 2021
Added
May 2021
Requires WP
5.2
Tested up to
WP 5.8.15
Requires PHP
5.6
Downloads
5,483

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Static 404 is a WordPress plugin designed to improve the handling of missing static files by quickly returning a 404 error instead of loading the full 404 page. This is useful for sites that have many static files, such as images or PDFs, as it helps reduce server load and improve performance.

The plugin allows you to customize the types of file extensions it checks for and edit the 404 message displayed. It also provides options to modify the response code and control request processing through various filters. This plugin is suitable for WordPress users looking to enhance the efficiency of their site when dealing with missing static content.

Best for: This plugin suits WordPress users with a high volume of static files who want to streamline error handling.

What it does well

  • Quickly outputs a 404 for missing static files
  • Reduces server load by avoiding full 404 page load
  • Customisable 404 message and response code
  • Filters available for extension checks and request processing

Where it falls short

  • Limited information on user ratings and feedback
  • Last updated in August 2021, may lack recent support

Verdict

Static 404 offers a straightforward solution for improving 404 error handling for static files. However, its age and lack of recent updates may be a concern for some users.

From the developer

Brad Parbs's own description of Static 404, lightly tidied.

Quickly output a 404 for static files that aren’t found, rather than loading the normal 404 page.

Any static files ( images, text, pdfs, etc ) that don’t exist will 404 as soon as possible, rather than loading the entire WordPress application.

Details

By default, the list of extensions to check are the results of wp_get_ext_types, but can be filtered with static_404_extensions.

The output is a static page with the text 404 Not Found, this text can be edited by filtering static_404_message.

A 404 status code will be used, but can be filtered with static_404_response_code.

Passing true to static_404_should_process_request will short-circuit and skip processing the request. This filter gets passed the current request.

Read the full description on the official page →

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