- Dana Meir
- Apr 29
- 5 min read
We’ve all grown accustomed to freely zapping through websites and scrolling down feeds uninterrupted. When, low and behold, something goes wrong or we click on a link that doesn’t work, the subsequent “This page cannot be found” message can be more than frustrating. And that’s exactly where 404 pages come into play.
A 404-error page can make or break your customer experience. This small yet all-important section of your website design has the potential to boost your sales and urge visitors to take action. It can be the difference between a site visitor giving up and leaving your website, or becoming a loyal customer and fan of your brand.
The following brands and designers show us how the classic error message can be used to your advantage. They’ve spruced up their 404 pages to not only soften the blow, but also provide customers with a smile, sense of relief or even a little giggle.
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What is a 404 page?
A 404 page is an online page that appears when you click on a link that is broken and is therefore no longer (or in fact, never was) available.
This can happen if someone mistypes the URL (or in other words, the web address that appears in the browser’s address bar). You can also reach a 404 page if a company has deleted or moved certain content from their website or has made changes to their permalink structure.
When you create an eCommerce website, you can either leave the default option as is, or you can customize your 404 error page. The latter gives you the opportunity to craft an enticing design that will boost your customer experience. On top of the design, you’ll have the option to write a friendly, on-brand message that will provide visitors with the help and direction they need to keep browsing.
9 best 404 pages from around the web
01. Wix—playful, clear, branded, helpful
The Wix 404 page turns a wrong turn into a smile-worthy moment—proof that great web design extends to even the smallest corners of your site. With its bold visuals and clever copy, it stays perfectly on-brand, tying back to your original domain name and website color scheme for a seamless experience.
What makes it stand out is how it blends personality with utility. It’s a reminder that even your error pages are a chance to reinforce your voice and design smarts—something every site, from portfolio to business, should take note of.
02. Pixar—cute 404 page
Pixar fans will no doubt resonate with this heartwarming 404 page. Featuring a character from the much-loved movie, Inside Out, it helps strengthen their brand reputation and build a bond with their site visitors. The use of colloquial language and a familiar character also make the page feel more human, helping us relate and connect.
Whether or not your brand is as widely recognized throughout the world as Pixar’s, you can experiment with text and imagery to create a friendly, human sensation. Play around with warm and informal language, using words like “awww” and “oops” to connect with your audience.
03. Dribbble—interactive 404 page
Distraction isn’t always a bad thing. Social network Dribbble’s error page proves just that. The fun, interactive design invites visitors to play, while momentarily taking their attention away from the fact that they didn’t reach their desired web page.
Not only is the game addictive but it also serves as a form of navigation; clicking on any of the images will take you to the profile of its creator, fluidly removing you from the 404 page. They’ve also made sure to include a search bar and a link to their homepage.
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04. The-Artery—on-brand 404 page
There aren’t many people who would complain upon reaching this beautifully designed 404 page. The trendy visuals are cohesive with the rest of this creative studio’s website, resulting in a seamless browsing experience, even when coming across a broken link.
The image itself moves in response to the cursor and is made up of intriguing elements. This makes it likely that site visitors will even end up purposefully lingering a little longer on this page. The text used is also comforting, inviting you to click anywhere on the screen in order to easily continue browsing.
05. Lazy Oaf—trendy 404 page example
Here’s a 404 page that doesn’t quite stick to conventions. Claiming to be ‘Keeping it weird since 2001’, fashion label Lazy Oaf has stuck to its promise here as well—in the best way possible.
Instead of providing site visitors with the usual explanation of why they may have reached this error page, they’ve switched it up with comical excuses, sad emojis and a sign saying ‘s*** happens’. However, this very frank and brightly colored 404 page is anything but sad. They’ve also ensured intuitive navigation by keeping the menu bar visible, as well as including images from their online store just a short scroll away.
06. Spotify—404 page with a personal feel
Spotify’s error page helps strengthen their brand identity, with its trendy use of millennial pink and vinyl record imagery. They’ve kept their menu bars on show, both in the header and footer, making navigation simple.
Other than the possibility to navigate via the menus, Spotify has also adopted friendly, conversational language to suggest other useful pages. When creating your own, try implementing informal words like “maybe” and adding questions, to help your site visitors feel as though there is a human on the other side.
07. Lego—friendly 404 page
Lego has used a familiar character for their 404 page design, helping connect the audience to the brand and create a friendly atmosphere. Their conversational style of text is also reassuring, keeping the tone light and playful, with exclamation marks and everyday language.
If you’re also going for a humorous 404 page, make sure it's functional, like Lego has done here, offering alternative navigation options. They’ve emphasized the CTA button with a white background that makes it pop. By keeping the menu on show, both in the header and footer, site visitors can easily reach additional pages.
08. Figma—engaging 404 page
While this may appear to be a classic black-text-on-white-background design, it’s far from that. A closer look will reveal the possibility to play around with the text, creating a somewhat addictive interactive game and giving a glimpse into the nature of the product itself.
Figma has also incorporated many navigation options, including menus on both the top and bottom of the page. Potentially frustrated visitors can easily access the page they’re looking for by clicking on one of the many menu items.
09. MailChimp—heartwarming 404 page
Implementing an illustration style that sits in a perfect spot between childlike and emotive, MailChimp definitely knows how to cushion the somewhat disheartening situation of landing on a 404 page. They’ve included a large button that stands out, being the only colored element and situated right in the middle of the page.
However, what makes this 404 page truly special is the sensitivity with which each element has been created. The image of the donkey with its head in a hole, desperately searching for the page the visitor was looking for, is moving in itself. But when combined with the poetic language and the font pairing of a serif with a sans-serif font, the effect is touching and uplifting.