The Story Behind Our Viral 404 Page

Sometimes the best things happen by accident. Or do they? When we launched Magnt in 2014, we never expected our 404 error page would become more famous than our actual product (at least for a while).

The Birth of an Icon

It started with a simple idea: make our 404 page memorable. As a company focused on helping businesses create stunning visual identities, we couldn't have a boring error page. Our designer came up with a Venn diagram showing two circles: "We Broke Something" and "You Can't Type," with "404 Page" in the intersection.

The "Mistake" That Went Viral

Here's the funny part: the logic is completely wrong. A 404 error occurs when EITHER we broke something OR you typed the wrong URL. The intersection (AND) would mean both happened simultaneously, which doesn't make sense. But somehow, this "error on an error page" resonated with people.

"The business card creation start-up's 404 page showcases exactly what Magnt does best. The humorous Venn diagram shows two possible reasons for landing on the site's error page: 'we broke something' and 'you can't type.'"

— CNBC

Going Viral

Within months, our 404 page started appearing on "best of" lists across the internet. CNBC included us in their "13 of the Internet's Best 404 Error Pages" at position #2. HubSpot featured us in their compilation of clever error messages. Slate, Atlassian, and dozens of other publications followed suit.

The Impact

The viral 404 page brought unexpected benefits:

• •
  Brand Recognition: People started recognizing Magnt as "the company with that funny 404 page"
• •
  Traffic Boost: Thousands of visitors came just to see the error page (and many stayed to explore our actual product)
• •
  Design Credibility: If we put this much thought into our error pages, imagine what we do for actual brands
• •
  Conversation Starter: It became a great ice breaker in sales calls and meetings

The Lesson

Our viral 404 page taught us valuable lessons about branding and design:

1. 1.
   Every touchpoint matters - Even error states are opportunities to showcase your brand personality
2. 2.
   Humor connects - Self-aware humor makes brands more relatable and memorable
3. 3.
   Imperfection can be perfect - Sometimes the "mistakes" make things more interesting
4. 4.
   Details get noticed - People appreciate when companies put effort into unexpected places

Was It Intentional?

We'll never tell. 😉

But here's what we will say: whether the logical error was intentional or not, it perfectly embodies Magnt's approach to branding. We believe in creating memorable experiences that make people smile, think, and engage. Sometimes that means breaking the rules—even the rules of logic.

The Legacy Lives On

Today, our 404 page continues to delight visitors and win accolades. We've kept the original design (errors and all) as a reminder that great branding isn't about being perfect—it's about being memorable, authentic, and human.

So the next time you hit a 404 page, remember: even errors can be opportunities for creativity. And if you need help making every aspect of your brand memorable (including your error pages), well, you know where to find us.

Just try not to type the URL wrong. Or maybe do—our 404 page is pretty great.