The Million Dollar Homepage: what it is & sites like it

In 2005 a student sold a million pixels of ad space for a dollar each, and the grid of tiny logos that resulted is still online. The Million Dollar Homepage is exactly that: one page, a million-pixel canvas, and a patchwork of small advertisements stacked edge to edge.

The fun now is the click test. Hover over the squares, follow the links, and see how many of the original advertisers are still around. Many are not. It is a monument to a great internet idea and, accidentally, to link rot, and it shows how quickly the web changes under our feet.

The page's own title calls it a chance to "own a piece of internet history," and that is no exaggeration. It dates to 2005. It works on desktop, and small screens make the ads hard to tell apart. Allow about five minutes. If you enjoy this, our history and time category has more archaeology of the internet.

Tips for getting the most out of it

Use a desktop; the ads are tiny.
Click a few links and count the dead ones.
Look at the sizes and shapes of the blocks.

Questions about The Million Dollar Homepage

What is the Million Dollar Homepage?

It is a single web page made of one million pixels of ad space, sold in 2005 at one dollar per pixel. The result is a grid of small ads that is still online. You can find it at milliondollarhomepage.com, and odd-sites.com lists it as a five-minute visit.

Are the Million Dollar Homepage links still working?

Many have stopped, which is part of the page's appeal as a record of link rot. We check that the page itself loads, but not every individual advertiser link. We check the link daily, so you can see whether it is still alive.