Many of us might have found ourselves clicking on a link, only to have an error message popping up instead of the page we meant to open. Different types of errors have different types of numeral codes. The 404 error is the one we will run into most often. In this guide, we will share the best, most bizarre, and funniest 404 error pages we found online, and in addition, we will be explaining what this error actually means.
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What is a 404 page?
While browsing the internet, we will sooner or later run into one or more of the dozens of HTTP protocol error codes. These errors show up when a website or a single page is unable to load.
The 404 error is the most common one. We run into it when we try to open a webpage that does not exist. It might have been there before but got deleted, changed address, we clicked, or we wrote or the wrong URL.
At this point, we should note that error 404 appears only on specific pages on a website which may otherwise appear to work just fine. If the entire webpage has a problem, then other error codes occur. For example, the infamous 500 Internal Server Error.
So, when we request an address from the server that doesn't lead anywhere, error 404 appears, and we are lead to the corresponding page.
Most 404 error pages consist of a white background with black letters, simply stating the obvious.
Although, it is not necessary for a 404 page to only have text. Virtually any web designer can create a modified 404 error page, with graphics, links, a search box, and anything else they desire.
Sometimes, a few designers go a step further and create smart, attractive, and colorful Error 404 pages. Here on PCsteps, we gave our 404 page a bit of a special touch.
So, we set out to gather a few of the most unusual and original Error 404 pages out there.
Of course, the list might not be complete, and if you know of any other pages worth mentioning, let us know in the comments.
LEGO
We are all familiar with LEGO. In their website, we can find games, assembly instructions, videos, and more. The most interesting of them all is the funny but straightforward error page.
LEGO uses its characters who we know and love, to make a simple joke. A Lego Man holds a disconnected plug, stating loud and clear that the webpage we are trying to visit does not exist.
Pixar
Pixar, the famous movie animation studio features Sadness on its error page. Sadness is one of the characters from the movie "Inside Out."
She is probably crying for the lost page, and the text next to her is trying to calm her down by telling her it's just a 404 error, informing us that what we are looking for may have been misplaced in Long-Term Memory.
The text's context is from the movie, which, if you haven't seen, then we strongly suggest that you do.
IMDb
Since we are on the topic of movies, IMDb, the popular internet database for movies and more, has not one, but multiple 404 error pages.
Every time we reload the page, the content changes.
In all the pages we will find altered quotes from famous movies. All of them are about errors and web pages. Meanwhile, on the bottom right, we can see which movie each quote is taken from.
Finally, clicking on the movie's name takes us to its IMDb page.
9GAG
The website we all know but not everyone loves gathers all of the internet's memes, and it couldn't have anything else but a meme for an error page.
This GIF includes John Travolta and is of a scene from the movie Pulp Fiction. In that scene, he's utterly confused with what's going on. We think it was the best choice for this page.
NASA
NASA - we all hope you know this agency - is responsible for space exploration, among others. That's why its 404 page fits perfectly.
It lets us know that the page we are looking for probably got sucked into a black hole - lost but not forgotten.
Mashable
Mashable is a digital news website. Thankfully, the error message we receive is more positive and hopeful than NASA's one.
There is a picture of a sock with a hole, which informs us that they sadly couldn't find this page, but at least they found our missing socks.
We must admit that we had lost every hope. We were sure that they vanished into a black hole inside our washing machine.
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment has created numerous famous titles such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch, and more.
It looks like the designers have a great sense of humor, since, even though the error page looks a lot like the rest, it's quite literally broken.
We can see two points in which the glass has broken, and the menu bar is barely hanging on. As the page states, we broke it.
Gamespot
Gamespot is a leading website when it comes to news, reviews, and more about gaming.
The 404 error page is a game, and that comes as no surprise.
When we visit the page, it lets us know that we got lost. Nonetheless, since we are there, it lets us explore the dungeon in order to find treasures.
Obviously, the game is a Dungeon Crawler, and the treasures we find will make our geeky hearts happy.
All these come together with a dose of humor. For example, we find a boat with an iron tip, 100% gluten-free.
Blue Fountain Media
Blue Fountain Media is a digital marketing company. They are probably good at their job, since their 404 error page is on every other similar list we could find.
The company created a version of Pac-Man, with a map in the shape of the 404 digits. Now we can take a break instead of surfing, since we got lost, as the page says.
Romain Brasier
Romain Brasier is a French website designer who created a game for his 404 error page.
This page is out of this world, and it challenges us to save all the Lemmings. The Lemmings are characters from the '90s game under the same title.
To save the Lemmings, we have to place our cursor over them. If we do so, the Lemming's parachute opens, and he lands safely, instead of getting himself killed.
There are two scenarios. We can choose not to save any Lemmings, sacrificing them all.
In that case, we get a message saying that they all died and we are left with nothing to do, so out of respect, we must leave this page.
Or we try to save them and see a different error page.
This time, it states how many we saved, thanks us for the help, and tells us to leave so no more Lemmings will die.
Email center UK Ltd
Email center UK Ltd is an email service provider for businesses.
The error page they created is unique since it allows us to choose which employ we want to fire.
According to them, this is the fault of the development team, and they should get punished.
We can choose one of the four employees, or let them keep their jobs if we are feeling generous. After that, we get transferred to the main page.
Left Logic
Left logic is a JavaScript programming company, and on their error page, we are given he ability to draw.
It tells us if what we were looking for wasn't that important, then we could kill some time playing around in that box.
Lastly, on the right side, we will find the best drawings other users created
Hotdot
On Hotdot we will find a small group of designers who create websites.
For the error page, however, the inspiration came from the team's name. Need we say more?
Moving our cursor around will cause the dots comprising the digits to move as well. It looks like we are in a 3-dimensional environment.
Moreover, we can click anywhere to create or small explosion.
Magnt
Magnt is a company which creates prototypes for websites.
On their 404 webpage, they wanted to show us how creative they are.
With the help of a Venn diagram, we can see the two possible reasons why we ended up on that page.
Based on that diagram, either we don't know how to type, or they broke something.
Embrace Pet Insurance
Embrace Pet Insurance is a dog insurance company.
They inform us that their dog ate the 404 error page. So, they can insure our pets, but they can't control their own? Hmm, no matter what, we forgive him. He's adorable, after all.
Home Star Runner
Home Star Runner is a flash animated cartoon series. Thus, the entire site is on Flash.
At least they know that flash is dead and gone since according to them, they are currently in the process of transferring their site from Flash to HTML5.
Of course, the 404 page is no exception, and we need Flash to see it.
No matter what, we expected nothing less than a sketch from cartoon creators.
As the text reads, we are a real idiot, and we made up the file name. It ends by not so politely asking us to leave.
Hugowave
Hugo Bonacci is an independent programmer and designer. It makes sense since he has the knowledge to create this error page.
The page he created would have earned first place if this article we were ranking the pages instead of simply mentioning them. It's the most impressive one we found while searching for 404 error pages.
Using CSS code, he created a vortex that sucks everything on the page.
Even more impressive is that all the buttons are still fully functional and we can click on them any time.
Hatched
Hatched is a marketing company, and on its 404 page, we can literally jump from a building.
According to them, there was probably an error, and we lost all hope. However, that's not a reason to jump off a building. Or is it?
By pressing the button "Ready Jump," we jump off, only to see the three buildings, and the windows with the light on giving us the good old 404.
Creation Museum
Creation Museum is a museum that explains the origin of the Universe and its history based on a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation narrative in the Bible.
They took Darwin's Theory of Evolution and incorporated it on their 404 page. Undoubtedly, they are hinting at those who challenge it.
The saying is a pun, since "the missing link" is about the shared ancestor the human has with ancient primates mammals, which evolution denialists say hasn't been discovered.
Also, the word link can refer to a web link; thus it’s also a pun.
If we click the button under the "Sorry, that link is missing", we are transferred to a webpage about the evolution of humankind.
Cooklet
Cooklet is the Pinterest of cooking. The users submit recipes, dishes, and more. Next, other users comment, like, and so on.
This one wasn't the most impressive error page, but it has a dose of humor.
Basically, it is an empty dish. Okay, it has a minuscule amount of leftovers, but as the text says, there isn't much for us left. It hints that the website was a plate of food, someone was there before us and ate the whole thing.
Finally, it looks like the 404 error pages can be interesting.
If their designers have humor and imagination, dull 404 error pages can be turned into works of art.
Did you know what a 404 page is? Did you like the 404 error pages we presented? If yes, which one was the most interesting for you? Do you have one to suggest that's as fun as the ones in this article?
Let us know in the comments, and we will surely respond.
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