I recently asked my readers to send me The Best 404 Error Pages and now it is time to share the best of them with you.
What is a 404 Error page?
A 404 error pages appears when you are directed to a webpage/URL that no longer exists. It can be page that has been moved or deleted or someone might have mistyped the URL to the website. It happens quite often and the owner of the website or blog might not know about the broken link. When you are directed to a page that no longer exist you will be presented for a default 404 error page. Most of time these pages are not very informative. However, some website owners try to spice it up with a little bit of humor and maybe some help to find what you are looking for.
Most Creative 404 Error Pages
Thanks to all that have joined the fun and send me creative or funny 404 Error pages and thanks to all that joined the discussion about the importance of a good 404 page. Maybe you can find some inspiration to create or improve your own customized 404 error pages for your own blog.
Below I have put together a gallery of some of the best 404 Error Pages I have received:
Update: I have written a post about How to Create a Custom 404 Error page in WordPress
Please drop me a comment below and share this post using the share buttons below 🙂
Hi Thomas, I love creative 404 pages. They’re a big incentive for me to keep trying to find the proper page. My favorite of these is the Lego. The Blue Screen of Death one brings back memories, but I’m thinking quite a few folks wouldn’t get it.
Which one is your favorite?
Hi Carolyn
I think the one from Lego is my favorite too. That was also the one that inspired me to write about the subject in the first place. I also like the one with the book a lot. Very creative and yet simple.
Great examples, I must admit. And yes – Why have a boring normal 404 page when you can make something that will increase the likelihood of the user returning to your website even though the page is not found (because of various reasons that can be wrong) and not close the window and move on to the next website – which might be a competitor of yours that you are losing a client or sale to.
Exactly my point Anton. I doesn’t matter how you visitors find your blog as long as we are able to keep them there 🙂
Nice collection Thomas!!!
I would say 404 error pages actually gives you an opportunity to show your creativity and impress visitor to come back again.
Thank you Aasma
Great collection Thomas… My favorite one out of these is the coffee cup. Very inventive and I know I should create one but just haven’t. So much to do right!
Thanks for going to all this trouble.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne
Glad you liked my little collection and hope that you will find the time to create a 404 error page yourself.
haha, these are great. I like the screenquiz one especially, but all are worthy inclusions. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Andrew.
I think it’s a brilliant idea, my 404 page is so boring jezz…. I like this idea it ads class and originality to the site. Let’s hope no one see’s them LOL but if they do at least it’s cool.
Thank you Brian. I guess we all want no one to see our 404 pages, but in case someone does anyway, we better make it look good 😉
Hi Thomas, I love creative 404 pages. They’re a big incentive for me to keep trying to find the proper page.
Love the submissions, Thomas! Thanks for the link that pointed me to this post. I like two of them especially, number 3 with the coffee spill (because it’s creative and points people back to the home page), and number 4 with the police officers setting up a road block (because it’s also creative and includes a search field with categories).
Just an idea I wanted to throw out there, if you haven’t done so already. Have you thought about maybe writing a post on creating a 404 error page? Just in case someone doesn’t know how?
Thanks for sharing these! And have a good one.
Allyson
Hi Allyson
I like number 3 from trafficgenerationcafe.com too. Ana is having a great blog too, not just a cool 404 error page.
I will consider writing a post about how to customize a 404 error page in WordPress. Thank you for the suggestion 🙂
Sure, any time. Can’t wait to read it when it’s done.
Hi Allyson
I just wrote a post about Creating a 404 error page as you suggested 🙂
Awesome. I’ll go check it out. Thanks, Thomas!
-Allyson
great article..i am impressed by creativity shown by blogger and web admins..such a great collection…i am bookmarking this..
Cool collection. I really like the first one so much. Nice creativity.
Thank you Praveen. It is a great error page for sure.
These all are nice 404 error pages, i like the newspaper image’s page. It’s descent.
Thank you Sonja.
I think 404 error gives you opportunity to make creative pages and impress visitors to come back again. All these 404 error pages are nice.
Really Awesome..And also Very much creative..
before this..i thinks that..Google’s 404 is creative..but its nt.. 🙂
I like number 3 from trafficgenerationcafe.com too. Ana is having a great blog too, not just a cool 404 error page.
She sure does Mike.
Hey Thomas,
What a fun collection. I love creative 404 pages. If you’re going to find a dead link or dead page, why not put a little humor into it. It can help show off your personality and as a searcher it just makes me smile and feel good.
Exactly my point Derek.
I love the newspaper error page 🙂 I wonder if there is a WordPress plug in that has a great 404 error page theme?
You have created really good list of 404 error pages, thanks. I will try to create something like these.
exceedingly excellent examples, i must admit. And yes – Why have a boring normal 404 page as you can make something that will increase the likelihood of the user returning to your web portals even though the page is not found (because of various reasons that can be wrong) and not close the window and move on to the next website – which might be a competitor of yours that you are losing a business client or sale to.
lo! this creative 404 pages are so funny. great lists and thanks for making it a great deal of work to put all of these 404 pages together
I am glad you liked them. I had a lot of fun finding them around the Internet 🙂
Great article! thanks a lot for sharing this useful info with us.
Hi,
I changed my blog content quite drastically about 6 month ago and left about 140 urls with 404 errors.
Google has listed these in my webmaster tools. I have downloaded then ans slowly over time asked Google to remove them.
I recently found a free WordPress 404 redirect plugin that redirects all 404 page back to the home page.
I know this is a shortcut but the old URL’s have no relevance to any of the new content so redirecting them to my home is the best option.
So Don’t need a 404 page, anything not found goes to my homepage…
Is this good or a bad thing?