
A few months ago I wrote a short article showing how you can create a 404 error page in WordPress.
The 404 error message is given by servers when a page is not found. There are many reasons why a visitor would visit an incorrect page:
- The page may have been there before but has since been deleted (but is still linked from search engines and other websites)
- Another person on the web may have linked to the wrong URL
- The visitor may have entered an incorrect URL
Unfortunately, it is inevitable that people will visit pages on your which no longer exist (or never did). The quickest way to check this yourself is through a service such as Google Webmaster Tools (via ‘Diagnostics’ and then ‘Crawl Errors’).
Due to this, it is very important that your website has a good 404 error page so that visitors stay on your website and find what they are looking for. A basic page or one which is confusing would make the visitor click the back button in their browser and look elsewhere.
What constitutes a good 404 page is a matter of preference. The majority of 404 pages I like have a good mixture of humour and/or a good explanation for the visitor about why they are on that page.
Today I will be showing you 500 creative 404 error pages – ranging from simple descriptive error messages to creative and humorous ones. I’m sure the list will help inspire you when creating your own custom 404 page.
Good luck,
Kevin
404 Error Pages To Inspire You
- Porcupine
- Twurn
- Amorphia Apparel
- Look It’s Me
- Neutron Creations
- Real Mac Software
- African Budget Safaris
- Home Star Runner
- NClud
- Ben Powell
- South Park Studios
- Factor D Studio
- Chris Jennings
- Happy Webbies
- iStockPhoto
- Twitter Italia
- Witchy World
- XtraBoy
- Girls Who Wear Glasses
- Frye / Wiles
ds
- Habrahabr
- Digital Mash
- At Ease Web
- Heldenmerk
- Poem of Quotes
- Oroza
- Ants FX
- Vimeo
- Daze of our Lives
- Coca Cola
- Absolute Marketing Group
- BrightKite
- Nectar Boutique
- Bits of Magic
- Agens
- Drexler
- Store Envy
- Retard Zone
- Destra Solutions
- Hornets 247
- Huwshimi
- Object Adjective
- Slonky
- Enlighten Designs
- FerDaze
- Ami Entertainment
- the Big Noob
- Astuteo
- Red Nose Day
- CSS Remix
- Leecy
- Eternal Moon
- Trotes do Chupim
- Reddit
- Havoc Inspired
- Rezgo
- Coldink
- ThinkGeek
- Vision
- Tattoo Sales
- Factor Metal
- Unstoppable Robot Ninja
- Koodoz
- DevLounge
- Rafael Bardini
- Twitter
- Urban Pill
- Tobias Ahlin
- Github
- Blizzard
- Future of Web Design
- 45royale
- Expansion Broadcast
- Fender
- CG Craft
- I Love Typography
- Cartoon Network
- Aviation Reviews
- Story Pixel
- Hasbro
- Deaxon
- Catalyst Studios
- Tinsanity
- We Function
- Bing
- Virgin
- EctoMachine
- DesignTech
- Scythe
- Itchy Robot
- Wake Interactive
- BrandStack
- G4TV
- I Have An Idea
- Big Stock Photo
- Warhammer Online
- Webclip
- Milrayas
- Outspoken Media
- Wakoopa
- ZedJunior
- Vuu Media
- New Yorker
- Dilbert
- Weebl’s Stuff
- Just Creative Design
- James Padolsey
- Soocial
- Unfinity Design
- Vivid Copy
- Digital Results
- Shay Howe
- ReForest London
- Thomas Alan
- BlogFullBliss
- Pixel Blast
- Sodahead
- Boston Web Studio
- MailChimp
- YouCastr
- Veerle
- Zug
- Bi Bakar mısınız
- Design Bombs
- Second Version
- n.design studio
- CricketFeet
- Comics
- Moock
- Google
- Sam Smith
- Serene Destiny
- Open End Adventure
- From My Bottom Step
- Spore
- Mark Fennell
- Jolie Poupee
- Magntize
- Greg One
- Tweeteorites
- Owltastic
- Surfing On Static
- Project Euh
- Batman 3D
- Ember App
- Lark News
- CSS Scoop
- WP Candy
- 31Three
- Wufoo
- K10K
- 69Lab
- Natalie Jost
- Shout Digital
- Kukoo
- Devon Locks
- Lee Munroe
- Hopper Magic
- Psicobyte
- iStockPhoto
- Mushroom Digital
- Amy Herndon Photography
.com/404″>Chris Glass
- Kidmondo
- Beanstalk
- The Truth
- Merge
- Webtress Design
- Ben Lew
- The UFC Results
- Mark Dijkstra
- Kochatelier Berlin
- JackFig
- Instant Shift
- Stil Etage
- Fotolia
- Iinsight
- Digital Media Stockholm
- Waking Limb
- HootSuite
- I Love Your Shirt
- Red
- Cartoon Network UK
- Tap Tap Tap
- TruBru
- Unit Interactive
- CobleSkill
- Gamelib
- Heinz
- It’s Jerry Time
- Valen Designs
- Eva Lotta
- Matt Northam
- Martin Korner
- Literary Bohemian
- Duoh
- Dropbox
- Publici Tweet
- Meebo
- Clever Concepts
- Momentile
- ChairBoy
- IAMWW
- PetShopBox Studio
- Hull Digital Life HD
- Impact Ideas
- Roome
- Jen Gs
- CSS Leak
- Lord Likely
- Greens MPs
- Snapdox
- The Pioneer Woman
- Home Star Runner
- Walk With You
- Sohtanaka
- Sand and Starfish
- Nameless
- McDowell Crook
- Newspond
- Project Fedena
- Curt Granger
- Jon Brousseau
- Kitty Yo
- Digiguru
- My Ibiza Lifestyle
- DesignZillas
- Bridge Agency
- Geek Squad
- Gwenhwyfar
- Amy Mahon
- Maestros Del Web
- Xyooj
- pv.mgarage
- Tix02
- Weebls Stuff
- Rather Good
- Turbo Milk
- Shelf Worthy
- Jamie Huskisson
- ICS Media
- Fluther
- CopyBlogger
- Foto Union
- DevUnity
- Limpfish
- Toffee Nut Design
- Gropper & Bonum
- Plinko
- Imaginaria Creative
- A List Apart
- Inverse Paradox
- Fubiz
- No One’s Daughter
- Bored Panda
- V Travelled Blog
- Northern Tool & Equipment
- BloqHead
- 01Zu
- Tinted Pixel
- TwinPX
- Critical Zero
- Christopher Meeks
- Robo
- BT
- One Desire
- Hazzen
- DevWebPro
- 383 Project
- David Airey
- Hull Digital Question Time
- MikeAce
- Day Tum
- Space Ninja
- Shock Me Sane
- Modal Inc
- Wowee
- WeFollow
- Salt of the Earth
- DBookshelf
- Erskine Design
- The Web Motel
- Jayel Gibson
- Niki Brown
- Dribbble
- Gog
- Jim Cromwell
- Spoon Graphics
- Luminous
- Flash Banner Online
- The Little Cake Parlour
- Fandango
- IMG Spark
- Feedburner
- Kev Adamson
- KuhBoom
- Creation Thing
- SimpsonCrazy
- Pixel2Life
- eVisibility
- Gadies
- Camo Design
- Design Informer
- chi.mp
- Planet Geek
- Impulse Studios
- DDZ
- CoTweet
- Pngised
- Booyant
- 0at
- Club Penguin
- Propeller
- Tassia Pellegrini
- Studio 7 Designs
- Orange Coat
- UpThemes
- Simple Complexity Designs
- Lindsey Breeden
- d20 SRD
- Prahba
- Acro Media Inc
- Telegraph
- Lealea
- Made By Sofa
- Vanity Claire
- WP Beginner
- Clear Spring
- Synch Media
- Door Step Dairy
- StickyBits
- Dark Squirrel
- Headscape
- Product Planner
- Pixel Matrix Design
- CSS Ninjas
- Meadowhill
- Leap Anywhere
- Mattell
- Leap Anywhere 2
- Bioneural
- Take Lessons
- Subwoofer Building
- RocketTheme
- Room 404
- Suspended Animations
- CSS Tricks
- Naldz Graphics
- Mgroves
- Lars Bachmann
- Pearsonified
- Merix Studio
- Irn-Bru
- Protegelaforet
- Teehan+Lax
- Wulffmorgenthaler
- Behold Web
- Hanttula
- AmCharts
- Telltale Games
- Glazbena Skolakrizevci
- Ript Apparel
- Nerdiphy The Soul
- The Brand Surgery
- B3ta
- Lyrics Playground
- Jokes
- Bol
- Copimaj
- Version Industries
- Zeldman
- Laughing Squid
- Inspect Element
- Ryan Roberts
- Design Ecotech
- Neography
- Stick With Me Baby
- PrintFancy
- Inspiredology
- Caty Design Studio
- Bellaminettes
- Made By Elephant
- Andrew Champ
- Tele2
- Chelmsford Library
- Justin.tv
- Fennecfoxen
- DeviantArt
- Trompe
- Futbol Sexta
- WooThemes
- Mnet
- Qppe
- Odopod
- Spongebob
- Birks Creative
- Member Hub
- An Idea
- Jazz Drummer World
- Abduzeedo
- Sage Media
- MuirSkate
- Future of Web Apps
- PopScreen
- The Odin
- Aardman
- South Creative
- Threshold
- Moving Insect
- AtSpace
- David Hellman
- Swiss Miss
- Student Market
- Mozilla
- Torley
- Sick Designer
- Spit or Swallow
- At First Sight
- Carsonified
- Best Served Cold
- Aviary
- Fuelly
- Zivity
- Digging Into WordPress
- ProBlogger
- Silver Pistol
- CodeSense
- Casino Lemonade
- Carol Rivello
- BlumBlum
- Gnolia
- Life With Corky
- Club Kayak
- Twingly
- Jib Jab
- Moo
- Pukka Dawn
- Your Web Job
- The Esthetik
- Pixel Creation
- OnWired
- Next Wave Performance
- XHTML Kitchen
- Black Wave Creative
- Cuoma
- Overlawyered
- Klaus
- RedTag
- Concept 007
- Politifact
- Chris Wallace
- Mutacao
- Mixx
- Krystal Archive
- Pixel Thread
- Craptastic
- Elliot Jay Stocks
- Apartment Home Living
- FireCooker
- Lightpost Creative
- Mousebreaker
- Unleashed Pet Shop
- Site Sketch 101
- Gdzilla
- Ibiblio
- Joyent
- Melly
- Smitten Kitcken
- Suredev
- Springload
- GolleGolle
- Canadian SEO
- Sebastian Jaramillo
- Blue Vertigo
- CD Harrison
- Zanami
- Vintage Sleds
- Dawdle
- The Road Forks
- Vint Falken
- Ready Photo Site
- RevenueWire
- Badmouth
- Levenez
- Fabrica De Caricatura
- Zeit Wen
- Blue Daniel
- LalaFooFoo
- Los Angeles Film Festival
- Pattern Tap
- Henrik Hedegaard
- Graphic Peel
- Darren Hoyt
- Amazon
- Venture Navigator
- Limmy
I hope you have enjoyed this list. Please feel free to post your own custom 404 error pages in the comment area below.
Thanks,
Kevin







Ha..ha….that comic by Open End Adventure is funny though. I am thinking to borrow some from the above list but I guess I need permission from the owner first?
It’s perhaps better to contact them in advance.
You could perhaps use it just now and include a credit note saying the image was from them but that might send visitors which are already lost to the wrong site.
You’ve inspired me, Kevin. If you can take 500 screen shots of 404 pages and blog about them, then I can create a custom 404 page. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while but haven’t had the time.
When you got to the 404th screen shot, were you tempted to just call the article “404 Creative 404 Error Pages”?
Great article!
Thanks Tom. Glad you liked the post.
Actually, I was planning on adding 1,000 error pages. However, I had a guest post publishing on daily blog tips today so I thought it was best to take advantage of the extra incoming traffic and publish it early.
I can always do a follow up post with 500 more images at a later date.
Remember to post a link to your 404 page in the comment area
I’m sure many, like myself, would be happy to give our opinion on it.
Kevin
Wow, there are some great 404 error pages. I’ve been thinking of changing my 404 page on my blog and have a few ideas. Hope to have that done soon.
Awesome Post. I gotta say, I love the Death Cartoon one. Hehe Very nice.
Glad you liked the post guys.
Kevin
Alright! I finished it. I tried to relate it to the dental theme of my blog.
Please let me know what you all think of it!
You can find it here:
http://www.OralAnswers.com/404
or just type any random string of numbers or digits in place of the 404
I like it Tom. It has a good picture and explains to the visitor why they are getting that message. Plus you point them towards other content
Thanks for your feedback, Kevin. awStats says I have thousands of hits that return a 404 error, so hopefully this will help capture some of that traffic!
Wow Kevin really a lengthy post. you took a lot of time in doing a research and choosing the best ones for us.
Thanks once again.
You’re more than welcome