The 7 Best 404 Error Messages

Once upon a time 404 error pages were the most boring pages on the internet. The words 404 error popped up in dull black lettering whenever the part of the website you were looking for could not be found by the server.

In fact, the only bit of intrigue about 404 error messages was the myth that came with it. This gossip suggested that the error messages were called 404s because that was the number of the office at Cern where Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web – the office that still exists but is totally empty. Problem was, even that turned out to be false.

But not so long ago web designers got their hands on 404 error message pages and they were given a whole new lease of life. Here are a few of our favourites at VPS.net…

The epic one

Film design studios Blue Daniel have turned their 404 error page into a virtual train station.

The arty one

The makers of this Javascript plug-in have turned their 404 page into a scrolling image gallery.

The funny one

Brand communications company Hatched make you smile with their 404 error page.

The fun one

This web developer company have turned their 404 error page into a game.

The hipster one

Clothing company Urban Outfitters’ 404 error page is as trendy as their clothes.

The action one

The makers of this foodie app turned their 404 error page into an action movie.

The cheeky one

Web design company Magnt get a bit ballsy with their 404.

Follow In Their Footsteps

Essentially, you can put what you like on a 404 error page. There are no rules or laws that say you even have to use the numbers 404. Once you’ve created the page itself, the main thing you need to do is tell your .htaccess file where the 404 error page is. A good idea is to add your 404 page to a folder called “error” within your website’s root folder.

# Error Documents
ErrorDocument 404 /error/404.php