Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Photography
  3. Products

Only happy accidents: here are the best Error 404 pages on the Web

Joe Donovan
By

best error 404 pages header
Okay, so most of us don’t really know the ins and outs of how the Internet works. We only know that  it’s unfathomably expansive and can drum up an answer for just about anything that rolls off the top of our head. Yet, despite all of its resounding capabilities and sheer wealth of content, we all know the Web has a tendency to fail us from time to time. Take 404 pages, for instance. The nagging pages represent a standard HTTP response code, essentially informing you of a broken or dead link. Maybe you have your fat fingers to blame, or perhaps the website developers, but who’s to blame matters little when you’re in a pinch. Not every 404 page is awful, though. In recent years, Web developers have transformed their error pages into someing more than mere accidents. Below are 15 of our favorite 404 pages on the Web.

The New Yorker

New Yorker 404

The Internet is a giant lab – at least according to The New Yorker. We’re all mice lost in the maze…. or something to that effect.

Related Videos

GoPro

GoPro 404

A leap of faith in its most literal form. The GoPro 404 page actually has a video of two bikers gapping a massive dirt feature – and one of them eating dirt. Head to the page to watch the epic fail

Visit Steve

Steve Lambert 404

Artist Steve Lambert’s 404 page is dubbed the most awkward 404 page on the Internet. That’s a pretty accurate description. He doesn’t say much during the 5-minute-plus video, but it’s somehow enticing. Maybe it’s his beard.

Blue Daniel

Blue Daniel 404

Design studio Blue Daniel’s 404 page feels like the beginning of a thriller movie, opening with an empty subway station as the 404 train pulls in. You click the sliding doors to enter the train, and once inside, you’ll sit across from a sleeping commuter and a woman taking photos. Still, we’re pretty sure you’re headed nowhere.

Titleist

Titleist 404 page

Yes, finding the right page can sometimes feel like looking for a golf ball in a vast expanse of green. It doesn’t help that premium Titleist golf balls are close to $5 a pop.

NPR

NPR 404 page

There are plenty of things that have gone missing. NPR does a nice job listing some of the bigger ones on its 404 page, such as Jimmy Hoffa and that London Fog briefcase.

Whitespark.ca

Whitespark 404 page

Whitespark.ca, a website dedicated to search engine optimization, lets you decide the fate of Brent. He’s the guy who couldn’t bring you the right page. Save him and he’ll be eternally grateful – or you know, don’t.

The North Face

Northface 404 page

We don’t know why, but goats are to blame for Northface’s 404 page.

Bluegg

Bluegg 404 page

Do goats scream like humans? Or do humans scream like goats? Website design firm Blueegg’s 404 is shocking at first, then hilarious no matter how many times you watch it.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp 404 page

Nothing represents a 404 page quite like a monkey – Mailchimp’s mammalian mascot – frozen in a block of ice. It’s certainly not the thing you were looking for.

Nouveller

Nouveller 404 page

Web design firm Nouveller offers a less-than-subtle ode to Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, if there ever was one. Typing commands such as “status” and “reboot” will allow you to do some interesting stuff…

Association for Computing Machinery

Association for Computing Machinery 404 page

Web servers have feelings too, or that’s what the Association for Computing Machinery wants you to think. And you thought Requiem for a Dream was sad.

Tumblr

Tumblr 404 page

Watch whatever illusion appears for three minutes and then quickly look up at the ceiling. It sure is far out, man.

Metro

Metro 404 page

The 404 page for the oddball publication Metro is the last thing you’d expect. Well, so long as you haven’t had a few sips of NyQuil within the last 12 hours.

Left Logic

left logic 404 page

Simply put, Java developer Left Logic lets you draw your own 404 page. Moreover, you can also build off some of their favorites, whether you want to utilize a pre-made coffee mug or poorly-drawn sparrow.

GitHub

github-404

Indeed, the 404 page for GitHub, the code repository and social network for developers, is not the website we are looking on. Move along.

Digital Trends

DT 404 page

Hopefully you’ve never seen it before, but for those who haven’t, you can check out pixelated renditions of DT CEO Ian Bell and CFO Dan Gaul in all their 8-bit glory. Apologies for the shameless plug!

Have a favorite 404 page? Share with us in the comments.

[Header image courtesy of Gonzalo Aragon/Shutterstock]

Topics
DJI’s 2022 drone contest offers record prize pool
A photo taken from a drone.

Leading drone maker DJI has teamed up with the SkyPixel online community for its eighth annual photo and video contest.

Whether you’re an experienced drone pilot or an absolute beginner still finding your way, the contest is the perfect opportunity to send your machine skyward in a test of your creative skills.

Read more
How $80 of photo processing software magically saved me thousands
photo editing topaz labs denoise ai phil camera

It's a good time to be a photographer, whether you're just starting out and really don't have any idea what you're doing, or if you're a seasoned pro looking to try something new.

The gear is better than ever, making even entry-level bodies better than what the previous generation started out with. Software options make cataloging and processing your photos faster and less destructive, so you can revisit things for years and give old pics new life.

Read more
Sony A7 III mirorless camera is $300 off for Black Friday
Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless front view.

There are a lot of great Best Buy Black Friday deals going on right now, and whether you're looking for TVs, laptops, or even headphones, there's a little something for everybody. Of course, many folks may not realize that Best Buy has some fantastic deals on high-end photography gear, such as this Sony Alpha a7 III mirrorless camera. While it usually goes for a whopping $2,200, Best Buy had brought it down to $1,900, and while that relatively doesn't seem like much, you could always spend the $300 savings on a new lens.

Why you should buy the Sony Alpha a7 III
The Sony Alpha a7 III is a camera with so much tech that it might as well be three different cameras. It has excellent dynamic range, low-light performance, and high-speed performance, and the full-frame sensors make the images look absolutely stunning. Interestingly, the a7 III manages to do an excellent job at both low and high ISOs, the latter of which can go as high as 51,200 non-boosted, which, granted, adds a lot of noise, but noise reduction helps with that. As for the video, well, sadly, it's not as impressive, at least in terms of advancements in image quality, and while it can do 8-bit 4K at 30 frames per second, it's no longer ahead of the pack in that regard, like the Panasonic Lumix GH5 is with its 400Mbps 10-bit codec and 60-fps 4K.

Read more