How can include() be utilized to display a custom error page in PHP when a file is not found?

When a file is not found in PHP, you can utilize the include() function to display a custom error page instead of the default server error message. By using a conditional statement to check if the file exists before including it, you can redirect to a custom error page if the file is not found. This helps provide a better user experience by showing a more informative error message.

<?php
$file = 'file_to_include.php';

if (file_exists($file)) {
    include($file);
} else {
    include('error_page.php');
}
?>