Smashing Magazine - we smash you with the information that will make your life easier. really.

Wow, nice selection. This has got me inspired to work on my 404 page. Thank you.

Can’t wait for the next contest :)

Hopefully we’ll make the next cut

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I think some of the links may be messed up.

The last one (http://media.smashingmagazine.com/images/404-2/doodoo.jpg) and the printscreen one (http://media.smashingmagazine.com/images/404-2/printscreen.jpg) seem to point to other 404 pages.

I can’t even find 404 pages, heh.

Nice one! Gave me a cool idea for my own site

Wipeout!

I love the Django Book one.

It’s not a real 404 but also a screen for not available. I like this one from datenvandalismus.org.

Adore the blue screen of death 404. What a great way to inject a little secret creativity on a site that’s been design-by-committeed to death.

I think the old blue-screen-of-death one is my favorite because taking little potshots at Microsoft is always funny. There are some very clever ones in here. I’m going to have to rethink my 404 page to provide a little more creativity.

In terms of usability, I think providing a search field as well as some links to recent pages would be one of the better solutions though.

So fun, I enjoyed looking at all of these! It’s intriguing how such a number has birthed all these artistic interpretations. Here’s my watermelony one:

» http://torley.com/404

The Pure pwnage 404 is my favorite. Helps if you know the show.
http://www.purepwnage.com/404.html

At the top of section 2 you write “and beer to keep you company”, but the bottle depicted on the image below is clearly a whisky bottle.

Can’t help but to plug PG’s 404, a fancy shirt :-)

http://www.planetgeek.org/tttfy

Here is a error page from my site: CLICK HERE

By the way I really like your Smashing Website

You just have to like how the first one confuses 404 with 505 (in the big image, not in its headline though).

“actually mine is better.. =]

http://scar.atspace.org/404.html”

Yes i like the idea of your 404 page

Nice list — was happy to see our site get up there (Slonky.com).

Definitely like how there’s a good mix of function, creativity, and etc., throughout the list.

http://www.poemofquotes.com/404
I love this one ~~oops!

Also, check out these ones :)

http://www.mariotomic.com/403.shtml

http://www.mariotomic.com/401.shtml

Nice one! I’m doing one to my Site

i would like to make one custom page too…to told my reader page infected by virus….hohoho scare them when them access wrong page

I like this blue screen of death-style 404 page more: http://zonaphotoshop.com/404

We have one up at RolePlayGateway. It’s pretty much identical to the rest of the site, so users aren’t interrupted and are naturally pushed into our site.

It exists already ?

http://hypem.com/track/368152

also check out this 404:

http://www.webhex.net/404

Strong Bad!!!, man nice way to be creative with errors.

I loved those ones!

This is my fave 404… good and insulting
http://www.kosch.co.uk/

My favorite is still:
http://www.lookitsme.co.uk/404_me

the one for BlueVertigo is actually a song for the last episode of cowboy bebop, just thought I should straighten that out.

Good article… reminded me that my portfolio’s 404s are still the WordPress default. Thanks for the reminder!

The digg effect is strong in this one. Thanks for sharing these pages. 404 doesn’t seems so bad anymore.

http://errtheblog.com/my_page

That is a good one!

My error page: :)

Here’s a good one:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazin

јебига means “fuck it!” in Serbian. I suppose the people at Rainfall Daffinson are not aware of that. ;)

I find it arrogant and annoying when a website blames ME for arriving at a 404. More than once I have been sent there from within their own site, but they assume it’s either my stupidity, my inability to type, my outdated bookmark (which should be their problem, not mine) or some other sites bad link.

The sites I like admit it just could be their fault and offer me an opportunity to tell them about it.

Truly a great work. I feel inspired to do my own 404 page.
Thankx

Nice collection. Although mine is missing. ;(

I would like to submit my own for review
http://www.hitpoints.org/thispagedoesntexist.html

Very very good. A lot of interesting ones out there. I believe the less technical, the better…

http://www.offeroftheday.com/404

now that is what I call creative people with very interesting website, even 404 page can make people stay long on their website !

It is said, “To err is human,”
That quote from alt.times.lore,
Alas, you have made an error,
So I say, “404.”

Double-check your URL,
As we all have heard before.
You ask for an invalid filename,
And I respond, “404.”

Perhaps you made a typo –
Your fingers may be sore –
But until you type it right,
You’ll only get 404.

Maybe you followed a bad link,
Surfing a foreign shore;
You’ll just have to tell that author
About this 404.

I’m just a lowly server
(Who likes to speak in metaphor),
So for a request that I don’t know,
I must return 404.

Be glad I’m not an old mainframe
That might just dump its core,
Because then you’d get a ten-meg file
Instead of this 404.

I really would like to help you,
But I don’t know what you’re looking for,
And since I don’t know what you want,
I give you 404.

Remember Poe, insane with longing
For his tragically lost Lenore.
Instead, you quest for files.
Quoth the Raven, “404!”

by Dan Black
dan@black.org
16 August 1999

omg why orkut.com error page isnt in the list? its so funny.. says ‘bad bad server,no donut for you’ =D

I notice that none of those pages (as pretty as they are) provide the seo and user benefits provided by Google 404 Error Page…

Thanks dweeble for the referance! I’m a BIG stickler on Copyright and Intelectual Property and wish that the page had sited the source it’s the las and a good idea. For anyone who cares it is indeed Cowboy Beebop (and anime series) The song was composed by Yoko Kanno and is avalible on the CD Blue. Though the OST1 is a much better CD

Number 8 (first one) is better than the editors give it credit for! Its TV/video test pattern that is used to calibrate monitors and systems called “colour bars”. To me it is like when your TV transmission signal drops out. A better screen would be a Test Pattern like the kind TV stations do use when theres a signal failure.

Very good Collection.. iwant create my 404 page ! :P

Oops.. 404 Error : )

http://www.waltribeiro.net/404.html

I also got inspired. I grew up with c64, so this is mine:

http://www.klaus.dk/some_missing_page

this is good page. I like the paper & pen page and I have used it. Please let me know if you have any suggestion to put this page in blog?

Wow, nice list! You’ve given me inspiration to work on my 404 page now as well.

Lot’s of original ideas in this list.

Here is our contribution to the world of 404s… the Magic 404 :)

Someone sent me this 404 at Xmas. Made me laugh.

bule screen of death , LOL

Cool 404’s. Inspired me to do my own.

The big problem with most of these is that it takes the user a while to realise there’s no content, because there is content specifically made to replace what obviously appears to these designers to be a negative on a 404 — the rightful lack of content.

Hi, I use my bus:

http://www.explorando.com.br/pubx/404-citaro.jpg

Sooo cool. Geez I am way behind the times. Definately adding this to my to-do list.

Thx for the refs

Nice post. Good for inspiration.

Iconolab’s 404.
Link

Had a little fun with my own 404 page.
Link
Inspired by tiwistory.com

Heh. I found this post amusing. I still like my 404, though.

Как избавиться от 404

the best is #15!!!! loooool

Im agree.

402 Payment Required

If you think there should be some web page at current location, contact me and I may write it for you for a minor fee.

qiang!

Thanks barbara..u have given me an idea!

Heres another one with a clever image – http://www.lightpostcreative.com/404

This post has to be the best 404-page ressource in the internet. I haven’t seen so many error pages before like here. Thanks for the inspiring collection!

Ninja not found: cssninjas.com/404

I’m a bit disappointed to see all those technical “404 errors”. Does any visitor know where you are talking about? Only people who actually build websites, as well as other IT professionals know what the 404 means. Is it that hard to use a clear message the users directly understand?
Otolar

this is mine:
http://techspotmedia.x10hosting.com/404.html

If some people only knew how important a 404 error page really is, I see big companies making this mistake too, losing out on traffic and sales, after I started really using them, it’s responsible for $100’s extra monthly… I use one that I saw up here, liked the simple design.

Here’s my custom 404 page…
http://www.terrancecharles.com/blog/sm

Ooo good error pages. Thanks for share.

Here’s my one:

http://nneon.net/404

Well, then, never ever really thought about that 404-prob. But then, suddenly, i was pushed into the new dimension. mistyped… a 404-page… but a cute one. (sorry, the address is lost somehow — 404.) A little investigation, and i found this page full of ideas. Wanted a 404 that’s quite similar to the rest of the blog. So, here’s my 404.

My favourite is the PurePwnage ;

http://www.purepwnage.com/404.html

I like the Youtube one too, I don’t think they still have it;

“Sorry, something went wrong.
A team of highly trained monkey has been dispatched to deal with this situation.
Please report this incident to customer service. “

SIMPLY THE BEST 404 PAGE EVER!!!!

Hey, we thought this was good too! http://brunswick.com/brands/cola

Of course, cough, ahem, we, uh, thought of it here at GS Design….. (80% of this client’s base is marine related.)

this one makes me happy – http://raiseforfuture.com/what/404/huh

Great! i will use them for my blog.

Love this listing! I just got done writing a post on my site about status page design and was delighted to have found this listing. Lots of good (and funny!) designs.

Here’s my 404 and 500.

Should have included Homestar’s REAL 404 page (just as funny as “system is down” : http://www.homestarrunner.com/404

I’m pretty sure that Rainfall guys are aware of the fact that “jebiga” means “fu#k it” simply because they’re from Republika srpska (one of two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina) where Serbian is official language. LOL

Found a nice one here.

http://www.stripemedia.com.au

Look at

How about a nice, clean design with a little humor? http://www.rareview.com/nopage

smashingmagazine 404 is not at all creative……………..U dint intend it that ways ?

This was a fantastic comp, and well done to all who entered. What’s involved in the copyright of these? If I wanted to use an idea for it (for example, the book one, ‘page not found’) am I allowed to? Is it just a matter of crediting?

A new idea. 404Toons to help you customize your 404 page. They are free. Thought you might enjoy them. http://www.404toons.com.

Here’s ours for ProWorkflow (project management)
http://proworkflow.com/abc.cfm

We have an orange theme going…

This one is simple but funny

LINK

We went wif a sad baybay – S4 404

Great idea !

Here is my customised my 404 page.

I’ve used a picture of the famous Peugeot 404 and write the story of this famous vehcile (text from Wikipedia)

Very relevant because lmy blog is in French and all frenchies knows about the Peugeot 404 :-)

Here is the URL : http://www.electronic-illusions.be/blog/404.php

Tell me what do you think

Check one more beautiful error page 404 idea http://www.moinid.com/2009/09/error-page-404-idea

Some of 404 pages are very nice…linke tihis Vedeževanje

Amazing, I’ll post mine: http://www.equipe-s.com/somethingwrong .
Made with Swift3d and Fireworks…

Here is my 404 error page Click Here

I love the 404 with all the clutter… might have to try one with that as a concept.

“OH NOEZ!” This one’s pretty good!
http://www.myfreelife.com/404

Check out our new 404 page for when you can’t find the latest t-shirt: http://riptapparel.com/404

Love the redesign!