Since splash pages create a point of friction in the user journey, they’re not for everyone. The challenge is creating splash pages that feel helpful rather than obstructive, whether you're handling regulatory requirements or making a creative statement. 

In this guide, we'll examine real-world examples from brands that have mastered this balance, then show you how to build similar experiences. You'll learn when splash pages make sense, how to design them effectively, and most importantly, how to keep users engaged rather than frustrated during their first moments on your site.

What is a splash page?

A splash page is an introductory screen that appears before visitors reach your main website content. Unlike popups that overlay your existing pages, splash pages completely replace your homepage until users take a specific action like confirming their age, selecting their region, or simply clicking “Enter Site.”

If you need to do any of the following, splash pages are worth considering:

• Verify users’ age for products like alcohol or tobacco

• Offer country, region, or language selection for international brands

• Promote flash sales, new products, and other temporary campaigns

• Share important service announcements for your business (like an office closure)

• Position your brand with captivating photos or videos

Splash pages—even the most beautifully-designed ones—are a hurdle in the user experience, which means they might inadvertently drive some users away. When done poorly, they can also create SEO issues. Because of this, it’s important for splash pages to justify their existence by solving a real problem. 

If you’re adding a splash page for marketing or personalization, it’s worth exploring whether you can achieve the same goal in a more streamlined way. For example, instead of sending users to a splash page to select their country, you could automatically detect their IP address, and route them to the appropriate regional version of your site.

Splash pages vs. homepages vs. landing pages

Splash pages occupy a unique position in the web design ecosystem: they're not quite homepages, and they're definitely not landing pages. Understanding these distinctions helps you decide whether a splash page is the right solution for you.

Splash pages vs. homepages

When you add a splash page, it becomes the first thing every visitor sees when they navigate to your domain. Unlike your homepage, which offers multiple navigation paths and comprehensive information about your business, splash pages are intentionally minimal. They typically feature:

• A single message or announcement

• One primary action or decision

• No traditional website navigation

Think of them as a gateway that determines how users enter your site rather than a destination in itself.

Splash pages vs. landing pages

The contrast with landing pages is even more pronounced. Landing pages are standalone destinations designed for marketing campaigns—when someone clicks your social media ad or email link, they arrive at a page specifically crafted to convert them into customers. These pages include detailed product information, social proof, benefit explanations, and multiple conversion opportunities.

Splash pages work with much less content and serve more functional purposes like age verification or region selection before directing users to your actual homepage. The difference in visitor intent is crucial here: people who reach landing pages usually arrive with some level of purchase interest, having clicked through from targeted ads or promotional emails. Splash page visitors, however, are typically just trying to browse your website normally. They're not necessarily in a buying mindset, which means your splash page needs to make their journey easier rather than interrupt it.

For marketing purposes, homepages with strong hero sections or dedicated landing pages often deliver better conversion rates than splash pages. Splash pages work best when they solve practical problems (like regulatory compliance) or serve specific brand experience goals that can't be achieved through other means.

10 splash page examples

The best way to understand effective splash page design is to see it in action. Here are 10 examples that show how different brands handle everything from regulatory requirements to creative brand experiences.

1. Samuel Adams

If you sell alcohol or other adults-only products, you need a splash page for age verification before users can enter your site. Don’t complicate it by making the page too busy or by asking for more information than you need. Instead, be like Samuel Adams: use a minimalistic page design that offers users a quick, single-click way to confirm that they are legally allowed to enter your site.

If you’re required to have an age verification splash page, you might as well use it to reinforce your brand. Samuel Adams does a great job of this, with high quality images that look just like the ones you see on their product packaging.

2. Dior

Sometimes, splash pages are a branding decision, not a regulatory or practical one. Dior is a great example of this: it sends users to a splash page to choose whether they want to enter the Fragrance & Beauty or Fashion & Accessories section of its site.

Is this necessary from a user navigation standpoint? Not really. But it also gives Dior a few seconds to show off its latest ads to the millions of users who come to its site every year. The splash page might turn some users off, but you can bet that Dior’s target audience is heavily influenced by them.

3. Les Gens

You don’t have to be a fashion brand as big as Dior to jump on the “branded splash page” trend. Les Gens, a clothing brand based in Nottingham, UK, uses a single black-and-white photo for their splash page along with a subtle “Enter Site” button. This isn’t necessary for most brands, but it’s surprisingly common in the fashion space: if you’re trying to project a certain vibe (e.g., 90s grunge) it might make sense to deploy a splash page to create a bold first impression.

4. MCM Worldwide

MCM, a Berlin-based fashion brand, asks users to select their location before entering the site. Regional selection affects language, currency, product availability, and marketing, so it’s important to get right. MCM wisely also takes the opportunity to use the splash page’s background for branding, and reduces overwhelm by using a drop-down menu rather than a long list of locations served.

5. DZ Cosmetics

Like Dior, DZ Cosmetics uses a splash page to segment users looking for different product lines—in this case, cosmetics and self-tanning products. But there’s also a third type of user in play: wholesale customers, who need to sign into a special portal instead of using the brand’s consumer-facing site. By getting users to sort themselves into the right bucket up front, the DZ Cosmetics splash page helps everyone get where they want to go faster.

6. Asana Rebel

Asana Rebel, a health and fitness app, uses its splash page to engage users as quickly as possible by funneling them into a quiz. Once they’ve completed the quiz—which asks about goals and includes some basic demographic questions—they’re asked to create a password and user name. Asana Rebel also sends a personalized fitness plan to their email address. All of this builds conversion momentum in a way that might be tough to do without starting the process directly from a splash page.

7. AWGE

You don’t see many websites like AWGE anymore: its splash page is a flickering, old-school TV, and once you click “Press Start” you’re sent to a homepage straight out of 1999 (complete with background music and sound effects). But that’s kind of the point. AWGE is a creative agency founded by A$AP Rocky, a rapper, which means that the website’s single biggest purpose is to create a brand experience that shows off the agency’s style. Splash pages can be a useful tool in this context for designers, artists, musicians, and anyone else looking to show off their creative chops.

8. SR8FIRE

STR8FIRE, a blockchain project for the entertainment industry, uses its splash page to immerse visitors in its vision. Its pitch—“tokenizing entertainment IP real world assets”—makes sense to industry insiders, but it’s pretty complex for everyone else. The splash page is a way to build excitement and help visitors understand what’s at stake before they dive into the technical details of the project.

9. Momday Club

Momday Club, a tattoo studio in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, immerses users right away by letting them create designs with a digital tattoo machine. While an interactive website probably isn’t the biggest selling point if you’re looking for a tattoo studio, it’s certainly memorable and it likely keeps users on the site for longer than they otherwise would be. While this isn’t technically a splash page since you can access the website menu right away, it’s close enough, and it offers a good example of the possibilities that interactivity opens up.

10. WIP Architects

WIP, an architecture studio in Athens, Greece, features a splash page with a rotating set of portfolio images that you need to bypass before reaching the homepage. While it helps create a premium feeling, it’s not an approach that makes sense for high-traffic businesses where every conversion counts. A high-end architecture firm like WIP, on the other hand, might only work with a handful of new clients per year, which means bringing in the right clients is key—and in this case, the splash page supports that goal.

How to create a splash page

Building a splash page that users actually appreciate—instead of getting annoyed at—requires balancing your business needs with user experience. Here's how to strike that balance.

Step 1: Workshop your H1

Users are immediately drawn to the H1, especially on splash pages, so it’s important that it hooks the visitor and communicates the page’s intent. A well-crafted H1 can make or break a splash page, which makes it worth iterating on. Consider generating a few options and seeing what works best with an A/B test.

Step 2: Design for a single action

The best splash pages require just one decision from users. Whether that's clicking "I'm over 21" or selecting a country, eliminate any unnecessary steps that could create confusion or abandonment. Keep your messaging simple and make your primary button or link visually prominent and easy to interact with, especially on mobile devices.

Step 3: Set up your triggers, timing, and redirects

Decide whether your splash page appears on every visit, first visit only, or based on specific conditions like traffic source or user location. Map out exactly where users go after interacting with your splash page. Create separate paths for different user choices (age verification, region selection, etc.) and test each redirect to make sure they work correctly.

Step 4: Make sure users aren’t getting stuck

If users can’t figure out what to click next to exit your splash page, they’ll get stuck. If they’re stuck, they’ll get frustrated and bounce. Make next steps as obvious as possible to avoid this. For non-mandatory splash pages (like promotional announcements), include an option to skip or dismiss the page.

Step 5: Test thoroughly across devices and scenarios

What works perfectly on your laptop might be frustrating on a phone. Test your splash page on different devices, network speeds, and browsers to make sure it works flawlessly everywhere. Make sure to optimize any images, videos, animations, and other resource-heavy assets so your splash page loads instantly.

Build better splash pages with Framer

Splash pages walk a fine line between creating impact and adding friction to your user experience. When done right, they solve real problems. The key is making sure every splash page serves a clear purpose and supports—rather than hinders—your visitor's journey.

Framer makes it easy to create splash pages that strike this balance perfectly. With drag-and-drop simplicity, responsive design capabilities, and fast-loading performance, you can build splash pages that feel seamless and professional. Whether you need a simple age gate or want to create an immersive brand experience, Framer's tools help you create a memorable first impression.

Ready to create your own splash page? Explore splash page inspiration in the Framer Gallery, jumpstart your design with Framer's templates, and sign up for Framer to start building today.