Error 404 pages that will blow your mind 🤯

“If you stumble, make it part of the dance.”

In a never-never land, nobody would ever have to see Error 404 pages. But far away from the Utopian world, links do get broken here and humans do make mistakes. And of all the possible parties and circumstances that could be at fault, why would you as a brand want to suffer the most?

A 404 page is one of the best and most underrated opportunities to show off a company’s true personality, and must not be missed at any cost. If handled well, it could win you the genuine trust and admiration of your visitors, and serve as yet another reason for them to stay.

While people who do land up on your 404 pages are generally bound to be frustrated about the fact that they can’t find what they’re looking for, why not make the most of this opportunity to offer them something even better than what they asked for?

Make your visitors fall in love with your flaws, and let them know that while they may not be on the right page, they are surely on the right site.

So stop resorting to the plain old ‘Page not found’ and get ready to find some inspiration from these 20 brilliant 404 pages that I am not sorry I stumbled into.

Spotify

Spotify’s 404 page is totally in sync with its brand personality, showcasing a cohesive illustration of a record player and relevant text that perfectly suits Spotify. The way a record scratch sound indicates something isn’t quite working, the animated record stops spinning after a few seconds. Check it here. Drawing inspiration from Kanye West’s signature ‘808 and heartbreaks’ the company stayed on trend even on its error pages.

Wizarding World

Also known as the official home of Harry Potter, Wizarding World has done a great job of making the users feel truly lost with a perfectly accurate reference, and I doubt they could have chosen a better image than this one. Potterheads must be aware, that the picture here shows the scene where Harry comes out of the fireplace covered in soot, where he had accidentally transported himself.

NASA

Life is a big cosmic joke, and NASA through its iconic on-brand 404 page wishes to make you realize just that. Sometimes, there is so much significance in feeling insignificant. NASA here has nailed it by keeping it simple and light-hearted, exactly what we would have expected from it. You realize that there much bigger problems in the universe to solve, and makes it easier to laugh off this small inconvenience.

Steve Lambart

New-York based artist Steve Lambart describes his 404 as the ‘most awkward 404 not found page on the Internet’ Try going through his video once and we bet you won’t be able to deny that he’s right. See for yourself here if you can manage to get to the end without happily accepting midway that a lost page is far more tolerable than this.

Dashthis

DashThis is an automated marketing reporting tool that exactly knows how to inject humour into the otherwise serious and complex nature of its content through its 404 page. I am all praise for this clever and creative error page that especially endears to all the Lord of the Rings fans. For all those wanting to walk into a 404, check it out here and do not fail to observe that even the peak of the Mount Doom reaches 404 on the y axis.

Pixar

Pixar’s empathetic error page is going to comfort you through all the frustration that you may have felt upon landing here. Although a single ‘page not found’ shouldn’t make you this sad, the animation giant’s perfect use of Sadness from the 2015 movie ‘Inside Out’ metaphorically suggests that if you look hard enough, there are plenty of better reasons to cry for, and that you should simply let go of this particular one from your Long Term Memory by returning to the homepage. Check it here.

Marvel

With funny and apt one-liners paired with animated characters themed around the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ranging from Captain America to Hydra and the eye of Utau, Marvel has got an unique way of letting you know that you are in the middle of no man’s land. Keep hitting refresh here to be served with a different visual every time.

Canva

It will be hard to get out of this place once you get stuck here. Moreover, this place will make forget what you were searching for firstly, and surprisingly enough you won’t even question why you ended up here. Canva’s 404 is simply addictive, with a visually appealing minimalist design and a puzzle to keep you occupied. Trust me, you won’t feel like returning to the homepage till you’ve solved them all.

Figma

A vector graphics editor and prototyping tool, Figma’s error page stays true to its name and accurately represents the brand’s personality. You won’t feel like returning back to the familiar grounds before playing around a bit with the oversized 404. Here you can stretch, shape, redesign and manipulate the curves and anchor points to your heart’s content till it satisfies the artist in you.

Wendy’s

Wendy’s is another example of an interactive 404 page. While this seems to be simplest strategy, it is one of the most effective ones in keeping the users glued to the page. Wendy’s has creatively modified the popular Pacman game so as to suit the brand and what they sell. See if you can help Wendy prepare the burgers and fries, and get her to the end, safe from the ghosts- here!

Cloud Sigma

For you, this may be an error, but for the Swiss-based cloud service provider, it has been a long awaited occasion to showcase some behind-the-scenes stills of its passionate junior developers at work. All words fall short in appreciating this hilarious 404, for Cloud Sigma has so humorously turned this error into a feline developer’s home page. It pains us to say that majority of the people may never be able to make it here and get to witness this wonderful miracle but you surely can.

Mantra Labs

8 seconds till oxygen lasts before you get rescued and are brought back to home. With incredible animation effects, Mantra Labs has created an error page that truly stands out from the rest. Stumble upon this 404 here, stare straight onto the screen and don’t blink. You’ve limited time over here and you would want to make the most of it.

Blue Path

Atlanta-based data strategy consulting firm Blue Path displays a unique sense of humor on its error page. On the left hand side is a map of Atlanta showing where the multitude of users chose to be, contrasted by a single dot that wandered too far away. What a subtle way of indicating a 404 without actually saying it! The offbeat data analysts have even shown all the reported crimes in the area through a visual representation. Why? Because it’s a crime that you haven’t hired them yet.

Blizzard

Video game developer Blizzard has hired a rescue Murloc, delightful character to take you back to safety. Listen carefully to the ‘Mmmrrgmgrrrgmmll!’ and keep following the sound till you reach home. I stayed on this page here till my mom called me for lunch :P

BrandCrowd

I certainly don’t need to describe this illustration by Brand Crowd, but oh, how cool this looks! And it’s not just the art that I loved, but the clever reference to the Semisonic song “Closing Time”: “You can click anywhere else, but you can’t click here.”, that makes it stand out. Here is the link.

Orange Coats

Another brilliant way of showcasing that you care for your customers and what should be the next sequence of steps they must take in order to find what they were searching for. Orange Coat has effectively used a flowchart here to guide the users, not forgetting to add some funny one-liners, while also reinforcing that the brand is serious even about its error pages.

Lego

It isn’t hard to make out from the horrified expressions of the Lego man that you weren’t expected to be here at this time of the day. With its totally on-brand marketing, the popular Danish toy production company has made an ‘iconic’ 404 page, letting its characters do the talking. In spite of being so filled with guilt and shame for having sent you to the wrong address, as all well-trained customer service people, the Lego man does manage to control his emotions and mutter a meager ‘Everything is still awesome!’ (the hit song from the Lego movie) before you leave.

Australian

The Australian has managed to convince some politicians to the face the music on their behalf, and fend off all the allegations against the company for its 404 errors. The clever news outlet has found an adorable way of connecting the famous ‘page not found’ error to hilarious political quotes that aptly suit the situation. Each visit to the page is promised to give you a new face and a new quote to laugh here.

Disney

Disney dons it 404 with style with a striking reference to its most destructive character from movie ‘Wreck it Ralph’. It’s nevertheless comforting to know that you still didn’t break the internet like Ralph. Furthermore, find Knowsmore on bottom right corner, and let him know more about where you really wanted to be, so that he can guide you back home safely.

Snoolink

Snoolink: One Link for All Social Media

If you get lost in the sea of snoolinks of user and end up running to broken link, Snoolink greets you with a very cute minion who’s in charge of taking you home. Well, we wouldn’t be angry if he’s there to help me. Will you

That was it! Twenty of my most favorite error pages. Lots of motivation for you to use these principles and design a custom 404 error page that draws users in rather than chasing them away.

Let me know if you do that! Till then, off you go deliberately typing wrong URLs all over the web to see what your favorite brands have in store for you.

And if you happen to come across any stunning error pages that skipped my attention, leave the links in the comments below!