30 Creative 404 Error Pages

An anonymous reader writes "It's frustrating when you explore the web and encounter the famous message: 404 Error – Page Not Found. What could make it a little better is a customized 404 message. Here are some really good ones that should inspire other web designers."

Database Error

[Anonymous Coward]

Error establishing a database connection

Re:

[__aaaojf4823]

Guess their error pages can't handle all these 404's

Re:Database Error

[[Marvin]]

Error establishing a database connection

Yeah, that's a classic.

Re:Database Error

[Tablizer]

To get the intended effect, you have to read it like Kirk:

Error......Establishing

A........

Database
Connect....
TION!

Re:Database Error

[erroneus]

Well, that's one of them... where are the other 29?

Re:

[religious freak]

lolz - love the irony

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Captain Obvious saves the day once again!

Re:

[gl4ss]

sadly this is the first time in a while that slashdot made me laugh. btw, would this count as a ddos?

Re:Database Error

[interkin3tic]

Can't say I didn't get what I came for, but I do feel disappointed. Kind of like going to a Rick Astley concert, and you show up, and it's just a low-quality youtube video of "Never Gonna Let You Down" on repeat on a TV.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

You didn't wait long enough. After about 30 seconds, the "error" page dissolves into a mass of whizzing space ships, burning bridges and spouting great white whales.

Re:

[Skapare]

I've seen this one already.

Re:

[icebike]

Error establishing a database connection

Subtle isn't it. How very droll.

Re:

[trum4n]

It's the new Rick Roll.

Re:

[treeves]

That's 31 of 30.

Slashdotted, lol

[ElectricTurtle]

I take it that the plain old "Error establishing a database connection" is not supposed to be one of these.

Re:

[phy_si_kal]

After all, the site is named flashuser... so quality is not expected here ;)

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Error 500: Internal Server error

[snowraver1]

WOW! That is a creative 404 error.

/.'d

[DamnRogue]

I don't know that I consider "Error establishing a database connection" all that creative. Mod down TFA.

Slashdotted before the first comment?

[djKing]

Now that's sad.

Re:

[djKing]

Yeah I'm old school, before the trolls.

Error establishing a database connection

[xleeko]

Best ... Meta ... Ever!

Sigh...

[Tasha26]

Seen one like that before, yours is neither good or funny. ...And I got a 404 whilst trying to access it.

Re:

[drb226]

I heard u like 404 errors, so I put a 404 in ur 404s so u can err whilst u err.

Harder to...

[jfclavette]

make a creative 500 page.

Re:

[locallyunscene]

Ajax considers sub-domain to be cross domain. GP is right.

My 404 page

[nemasu]

I custom designed my 404 page as well. Here [hubholic.com] Inspiring no? I call the design "Enlightenment Through Simplicity"

Re:

[Cheech Wizard]

I actually thought about 404 pages and their importance - Back in the 1990's, actually. I've slightly changed it a few times since (mainly adding notes). http://elsmar.com/dnfuhiwfwi [elsmar.com] It's not particularly pretty, especially by today's standards, but it works.

Re:

[nemasu]

Well, maybe I will later, but it's not really a priority. If people are hitting 404s all the time....something's probably wrong.

Re:

[Intron]

My company has a name one character off from another company, so our 404s are frequently people mistyping an address for the other one. So our 404 page has links to both company's main page and a who's who.

Re:

[AvitarX]

Time machine!

Github

[softWare3ngineer]

GitHubs 404 is great. cartoon rendition of a scene from a new hope with the title 'this is not the page you are looking for'

Re:

[nemasu]

Does that abomination have cat ears AND tentacles??? Is GitHub Japanese by any chance? GitHubs 404: here [github.com]

Re:

[jeffmeden]

I didn't pay attention to the figure in the image once I realized that the image itself has mouse-sensitive layers that shift around. Wait, what was I looking for again? Oh well. Nevermind. It's been a while since I checked slashdot.org. I better go do that.

Re:

[drb226]

Tempting to make a project with that name just to mess up your link.

Re:

[nemasu]

Haha, I doubt you would get very many hits from here.

Re:Github

[booch]

Not only that, but the scene has several layers that move in parallax as you move your mouse pointer.

github 404 page [github.com]

Re:

[justthinkit]

I can't believe I turned on Javascript to view a 404 page. Worth it, btw.

My internet sense is tingling...

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Why do I get the sneaking sense that taking web-design guidance from a site at "flashuser.net" that managed to get its DB hosed while attempting to serve up a slab of largely static content is probably not the best of ideas?

Re:My internet sense is tingling...

[Necroman]

Like all content management systems, what could be static content is stored in a database (I'm looking at you Wordpress). Many people running these type of sites don't go through the steps of setting up some type of caching.

Re:

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

CMSes certainly have their virtues(even if you don't use the comments and logins and stuff, you can do rather worse than using a CMS internally as a rapid-publishing mechanism to dump your text, along with handy consistent formatting, style, and site navigation, to a static site structure that can then be hosted); but not caching or being able to degrade gracefully to a static version seems a bit sloppy.

Re:My internet sense is tingling...

[Necroman]

Oh, I know. I ran a site on Wordpress for a little over a year (fan site for a video game). My top traffic in a day was 20,000 unique visitors and 150k page views. During that peak day I was getting 6-7 hits a second, and without caching I would have been dead in the water.

Having a simple theme that could apply across an entire site is amazingly nice. I really like CMSes and will use them again for future endeavors. But not understanding the tools (wordpress) you use when hosting a site yourself is just asking for trouble.

Re:

[SharpFang]

Plain text "Error establishing a database connection" in default H1 style.
That's not a very creative error page they have in there.

Re:

[Intron]

I've been thinking of making a 404 page that looks like a BSOD.

Best Meta Ever!!!

[NervousWreck]

'nuff said.

Since that site is /.'ed, try this one

[i_want_you_to_throw_]

Plinko labs [plinko.net]. They've been doing this for years.

Re:

[IshmaelDS]

FYI They don't clean up their links. I clicked on 4 or 5 and only 1 actually took me to a 404, the rest brought me to a godaddy ad page, and google.

Re:

[mooingyak]

I can understand someone thinking they didn't need to clean up their 404 links.

Re:Since that site is /.'ed, try this one

[PPH]

Is this the one you were referring to? http://www.plinko.net/asdfgh [plinko.net]

Heres mine

[BigBadBus]

Try this [paullee.com]

Re:

[phy_si_kal]

And this one: http://opalang.org/sdfdsfafdsfsdofndsf [opalang.org]

Re:

[icebraining]

That's terrible. Not even a link to the frontpage? Is the user supposed to manually edit the URL? For a web development company/project, that makes a terrible impression.

Re:

[socz]

my error page IS my homepage! check it out http://ghettobsd.org/slashdot [ghettobsd.org]

Sometimes custom 404 is bad for employment

[Keruo]

I was helping our HR to sort few applications to an open position in our company once.
Otherwise promising CV had cover letter containing a link to his work examples online.
Too bad, the link was truncated by our HR software and split into two rows, of course the software created link to the first half of the url only.
The applicant was quickly ruled out as a candidate since the 404 page from the incomplete link had goatse on it.
I did check the actual link by fixing it manually but our HR had already shredded the files by then.

Re:

[SydShamino]

There are only two things one needs in order to succeed; Knowing when to start, and when to stop.

... and not mailing goatse to potential employers, apparently.

Re:

[reeno49]

This made me laugh, which then made me explain my laughter to co-workers. You try explaining goatse to random QA reps sitting near you.

Here's Mine

[CaptainPatent]

Since the article is down, I figured I'd share my own custom 404 page:

http://capitolimprov.com/uea [capitolimprov.com]

Re:

[justsayin]

Good one, she always seems to be just out of reach. Damn princesses, that's why I finally lowered my standards and married a mere mortal.

Re:

[socz]

1up! I just started playing super mario sunshine (on the wii) and i'm at the part where she was kidnapped! So extra funny to me

A future idea

[BigBadBus]

An idea for a 404 page was to have a scene from "The Naked Gun", either the bit where Drebin is standing in front of the exploding fireworks factory, saying "Move along, nothing to see here", or the bit earlier on where him and the chief go to the scene of Norberg's shooting, and a cop with a megaphone is saying the same thing to two people at the quayside. Well, if I don't do it, it might give someone an idea to do so... ;)

Re:

[i.r.id10t]

I used to do one with the Iraqi Information Officer (Baghdad Bob) proclaiming that no such file exists, and if it did exist, it had never existed in that particular location.

Webcache...

[BadPirate]

To the rescue http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.flashuser.net%2Finspiration%2F30-creative-404-error-pages.html [googleusercontent.com]

Re:

[drb226]

Where are my mod points when I need them? Thank you.

Re:

[BadPirate]

There is a certain humor to using a cache to view a page regarding 404's... I just can't verbalize it.

Re:

[sconeu]

Coral Cache also works

http://www.flashuser.net.nyud.net:8090/inspiration/30-creative-404-error-pages.html [nyud.net]

These are great and all, but

[The O Rly Factor]

Is it really that hard to test and insure that your custom 404 error page is actually throwing a 404 error message, and it isn't just a soft 404 that actually throws a 200 OK message? There are far too many sites with custom 404 pages that don't check this, and it makes script writing needlessly difficult.

Re:

[drb226]

Only "really hard" for those people who don't know what their server is doing. It's dead simple to check with a simple script.

Re:

[imidan]

404 pages that don't return code 404 make me crazy. I worked on some software that did periodic harvesting of remote data, and there was one site that was always moving its files around, and they had a custom 404 page that returned 200 OK. So the software was never able to tell that the file it was looking for wasn't actually there, and our database for that site was always screwed up. They would contact us and complain about our links being wrong every now and then, but I could never get them to fix the

Re:

[icebraining]

Uh, IE only does that if the page is less than 512 bytes (not including external resources). Searching for "ie 404" would tell you that.

http://www.plinko.net/404/howto.asp?article=3 [plinko.net]

(Btw, according to Wikipedia, Chrome does the same, so beware).

Google Cached Version

[Jamza]

Error Establishing Database Connection. Google Cache Link: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.flashuser.net/inspiration/30-creative-404-error-pages.html+google+cache&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&source=www.google.co.uk [googleusercontent.com]

I think the utility of this has passed

[damn_registrars]

Years ago 404 errors were not that uncommon when people were looking for something based on a poorly written link or whatever else. At that time, it was cute to have a custom 404 error for the misdirected.

However, by my experience with my home web server at least, >>99% of 404 errors are the result of script kiddies trying to find vulnerabilities in my web site (usually looking for phpmyadmin or similar). They won't read the 404 error anyways, so whether it is cute, vulgar, or plain, it doesn't matter because their automatic system that is trolling for vulnerabilities will discard the error message anyways.

Re:

[Nationless]

I see 404 pages when trying to vaguely remember addresses. Like trying to quickly go somewhere on battle.net wondering if it's battle.net/store or store.battle.net etc.

Re:

[archen]

I have a domain which apparently got popular with these "look at these 404 error page" collections, and ironically enough my highest number of 404 errors come from these sites that want to look at my 404 page.

Been tempted to just make a copy of it at /404.html to stop the freaking errors, but I guess I figured that would be me caving to the internet and making pages at their whim. I won't give in...

Re:

[sabt-pestnu]

Torn between modding you up and asking a question. Question won.

Is it possible to use a pattern of "request for particular inaccessible page" or "repeated requests for (any) non-existant page by a given IP" as a trigger for tar-pitting or other retaliation/prevention methods?

If so, can you point to any tutorials on such? It probably wouldn't prevent a botnet attack, but there might be SOME use to it.

Re:

[damn_registrars]

I honestly don't parse my httpd-error log all that closely; I look at it a couple times a week and say "oh, some other script kiddie is looking for phpmyadmin in a place where it doesn't exist".

That said my instinctive response is that the script kiddies just pass through transiently and their IP addresses are seldom if ever seen again. For example, the last person looking for phpmyadmin at my site was from address 220.194.56.86, and visited my server on Sunday June 19. I see three visits from that addr

Alternatives...

[Any Web Loco]

Different website, and I can't check to see as the posted site's down, but I imagine much the same content...
http://www.wpmods.com/500-creative-404-error-pages [wpmods.com]

Coral Cache to the rescue

[hendersj]

http://www.flashuser.net.nyud.net:8080/inspiration/30-creative-404-error-pages.html [nyud.net]

mine - officer barbrady

[Cyko_01]

mine has a pic of officer barbrady from southpark saying "ok people, move along. There's nothing to see here!"

Fark

[cashman73]

Fark.com uses it's favorite squirrel for it's 404 error page [fark.com].

Dilbert

[Megahard]

Has a good 404 page [dilbert.com].

Error establishing a database connection

[Nadaka]

Error establishing a database connection

Ok? doesn't seem like a particularly good one. And Its the only one mentioned on the page.

Same Thing?

[Beacon11]

Is this the same thing? http://machoarts.com/30-examples-of-creative-404-error-pages [machoarts.com]

Another Blizzard 404...

[Mr. Gus]

In Silent Hill 2, the main character wanders through a forest into the town of Silent Hill. Once in Silent Hill, if you enter a certain building, you're greeted with the following:

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/56/258639-sh2_neelybar_hole_super.jpg [giantbomb.com]

If you happen across a 404 on Battle.Net's wow forums, you're greeted with the following:

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/d [battle.net]

SGI

[Jethro]

SGI used to have pictured of crying babies for their 404 pages.

I have random ones setup on my yaron.org site. Like http://www.yaron.org/thatdoesntexist/ [yaron.org]

An unused 404

[daedae]

I'd originally created this [uptonart.net] to use as a 404 page on my website, but I never actually implemented it as such.

For your information

[cvtan]

The people responsible for that database error have been sacked...

Re:

[Ironchew]

The people responsible for that database error have been sacked...

They cleaned out the only people who knew how to run the server? Kinda makes the "custom 404 page" issue moot.

I only see one

[Lord Juan]

And yet another misleading title and summary. There aren't 30 error pages, there is only one, and it is not even a 404 error page (or that creative).

Here's one with poetry

[IMadeAnAccount]

Mean Jellybean tells you in rhyming form what's wrong http://meanjellybean.com/404 [meanjellybean.com]

Weebl!

[Shark]

How could they omit Weebl's most incredible 404!?

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/404 [weebls-stuff.com]

It's groovy ;)

So how about the others?

[SignOfZeta]

Let's see some other custom pages for HTTP errors. I think designers could really have some fun with 410 (Gone), 401 (Unauthorized), 403 (Forbidden), and 418 (I'm a teapot).

My favorite's missing

[techno-vampire]

They're missing my favorite 404 page. [www.zeff.us] Of course, it's for my own site, but it's still my favorite.

My favorite one:

[deisama]

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I websurfed, weak and weary, ...Over many a strange and spurious website of 'hot chicks galore', ...While I clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, ...And my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour. ..."'Tis not possible," I muttered, "give me back my cheap hardcore!" -
Quoth the server, "404".

My 404 page ...

[PPH]

... on a corporate Intranet was a picture of a milk carton with a "Missing: Web page" photo on its side.

Application and data errors included a description plus an animated GIF of a user repeatedly smacking his head on his PC keyboard.

Oglaf

[alexo]

The Oglaf 404 page is second only to the secret page (which is fukken awesome!)

I like Steve Jackson Games

[SEE]

http://sjgames.com/404.html [sjgames.com] . Reload a few times; the messages change.

Report error?

[lee1]

Interesting how common it is for these pages to invite users to report the error. Is it that the site administrators don't know how to read their access logs, or something else?

Hlug.org still has my favorite.

[pecosdave]

This is great [hlug.org]. I think other have ripped it off since it was made, but I'm fairly sure this is the original location for that message.

Re:

[Rotten]

Nah we can't call that a creative error page :P

Re:

[Qzukk]

A long time ago, slashdot used to do the same thing for people who did use www. It would print TCWWW over and over and over in really big letters (I think it stood for "The Cursed WWW").