70 Ways to Write a 404 Page (Plus, One AI Prompt to Rule Them All)

Hopefully no one ever sees this page, but there’s no greater buzz kill than landing on a 404 page with zero flair and even zero-er context. 

If your boilerplate 404 page says: “The page you’re looking for doesn’t exist” – it may be time for an upgrade.

The key to creating a 404 page that makes your audience smile rather than frown with frustration is by asking “how could I say this in my brand voice?” 

Being slightly more comical or whimsical than you normally would be in everyday copy can help relieve your reader’s tension at this exact moment, so don’t be afraid to be a bit more bubbly than you would normally be!

Next, turn the dead end into a detour by adding a CTA to the page. Try linking to your bestsellers, your services, or Home page. Keep the CTA general, pointing to something everyone would find useful.

That’s all there is to it!

70 Ways to Upgrade Your 404 Page, Organized by Category 

Don’t leave here empty handed! Search the following 404 page examples by category. Steal these texts below for your own swipe file or use them as a jumping point to create your own text!

General / Relaxed

1. This page isn’t available. Let’s get you back on track.

2. Something’s gone wrong. Sorry about that.

3. This page isn’t here. Our bad!

4. We’re sorry! Something went wrong. 

5. You’ve reached a 404 page. Please try again!

6. Oops! Page missing.

7. 404. This cart is empty. [Let’s Go Shopping]

Funny / Ecommerce

1. Oops! This page took a day off. But your perfect product is still out there.

2. 404. Page went poof. Like socks in the dryer.

3. We’re searching high and low for this page. Speaking of low… [Shop Sale]

4. Bummer. That didn’t work out as planned. [Discover Bestsellers]

Pop Culture

For this one, you may need to include a photo of the pop culture reference so the audience feels like they’re in on the joke. 

Pixar’s 40 page featuring Sadness

1. Uh-Oh. You’ve entered the Upside Down. [Find Your Way Back]

2. So you agree? This page is totally missing?

3. The one where the page doesn’t load.

4. We were on a break! [Pivot Back to the Home Page]

5. Bears. Beets. Broken links.

6. Ooh, look what you made me do 🎶

7. You’ve reached the end of the yellow brick road. 

Magical

1. 404. [Summon a Working Link]

2. This page vanished into thin air.

3. BRB –  Flying on a broomstick.

4. Oops, this page is hidden under an invisibility clock. [Reveal a New Page]

Children

1. BRB – Off to recess [Home]

2. Looks like this page is playing hide and seek.

3. 404. Nap Time. 

4. Uh oh, this page is on a time out. 

5. Searching for our teddy…

Space / Science

Breathtaking example, fellas.

1. Houston, we have a problem. 

2. This link is in outer space [Head Back Home]

3. Uh-oh… lost in space. [Re-enter Atmosphere]

4. Hang on, recalculating…

5. Nothing here but space dust.

Dating

1. Well, this is awkward. This page ghosted us.

2. Oops. This page totally flaked. [Let’s Start Over.]

3. 404. Page not found. But we’re still on good terms, right?

4. Uh-Oh. This page swiped left. [Find Your Next Match]

Floral

1. Woopsie daisy! Page not found. [Shop Bestsellers]

2. 404. Guess it’s time to stop and smell the roses.

3. Oops, this page dried up. [Refresh Your Bouquet Here]

4. This page may have wilted, but our flowers are always in bloom. [Shop Here]

Find your brand voice and create an AI-friendly style guide today!

Apparel / Lifestyle

1. 404: Fashion emergency. [Head back home.]

2. That page is out of style. Let’s try something fresh.

3. This page missed the memo. Let’s get back on track. 

4. Page not found — but cozy is just around the corner. Snag something that feels like home.

Travel

1. 404. This page took an unexpected sabbatical.

2. 404. Gone travelin.’ Will send a postcard. 

3. Looks like we lost the trail for a second. Let’s get back on track. 

4. Oops — wrong turn. Happens to the best of us.

5. This page checked out. Time to catch the train home. [Home Page]

6. Uh-oh. Nothing worse than bad directions. 

Food

1. Uh-oh. This page isn’t on the menu. 

2. Oops, this page flaked. [Shop Pastries]

3. Looks like this page crumbled. [Shop Fresh-Baked Cookies]

4. This page is taking a 15. [Head Back to the Kitchen]

5. This page is cracked (include a broken egg yolk photo)

6. No use crying over spilled milk. 

Pets

1. Oops! This page took a catnap.

2. BRB – Playing fetch 

3. BRB – Chasing squirrels 

4. Uh oh! Where’s Rover? [Find Him Some Treats]

5. Currently digging… 

6. 404. Probably a cat sitting on a keyboard somewhere…

Tech

1. Nothing here but digital tumbleweeds.

2. 404: System error. Page not found. Initiating redirect…

3. Oops. Glitch in the matrix.

HR / Work

1. 404. This page is taking a sick day…

2. This page clocked out for the day.

3. This page is a coffee break. Try again after it’s had its espresso.

4. This page missed its performance review. We’re working on an improvement plan.

5. Looks like the innie forgot to clock out. 

404 Page Prompt

If you’re using ChatGPT to help you write your copy, check out the below prompt.

“Find your brand voice and train your AI assistant!”

“Write 3 versions of a 404 page message for my website. The tone should match my brand voice, which is [tone, tone, tone.]. I run a [type of business]. The message should be short (1–2 sentences), on-brand, and include an optional CTA.”

For Example (Food Brand, Playful Tone):

“Write 3 404 page messages for a fun, food-focused ecommerce brand that sells gourmet snacks. The tone should be cheeky and delightful, not overly salesy.”

ChatGPT’s likely output:

• "404. This page burned in the oven. Try a fresher batch. 🍪 [Back to the pantry]”

• "Oops! That snack got eaten by the internet gremlins. 🐭 [Find something delicious instead]"

• "We misplaced this one — but the flavor’s still on point. 🍿 [Shop our best sellers]"

Want Help Finding Your Brand Voice?

If writing in your brand voice feels like guesswork (or straight-up chaos), The Brand Voice Lab will help you find your tone, document your voice, and use it consistently — whether you're writing your 404s, product descriptions, or more.

🎯 [Check out The Brand Voice Lab]