The History Of Petpages

     Petpages used to use these formats for links:

     home.neopets.com/templates/homepage.phtml?pet_name=name

     petpages.neopets.com/~name

     If you ever come across these links, you can put the pet's name in the modern format to visit the page:

     neopets.com/~name

     Only very outdated pages have the old link formats.

     ~~~Petpage Trends~~~

     Many pages from the early 2000s have survived the test of time and fewer still have all of their images intact. Due to various reasons, most images eventually disappeared. Petpages are usually short-term projects, so these images aren't updated 99.9% of the time. Petpages always reflected fads from other parts of the internet, which is why they're such an important part of history.

     The oldest surviving petpages usually don't have much in terms of layout. They’re usually based on HTML tables which are extremely simple to code. It was also common for petpages to look extremely minimal without any kind of layout.

     In the late 2000s, layouts were likely to use official Neopets art with a heavy colour filter over it. The use of official art is still popular for things like backgrounds and banners.

     Older pages are more likely to feature layouts made by the pet's owner. Art of the pet is frequently incorporated into the layout itself. You might find a large drawing beside a small scroll box that contains all of the page's content. Some coders go the extra mile and integrate the navigation buttons into the same image as the background!! Modern petpages use layouts that are more minimal and with an overall better use of colour. Most people go with premades.

     100x100 pixel icons used to be very popular on petpages, but this fad has completely faded. Icons were used as decorations on your user lookup or petpage to share fun quotes and non-Neopets interests. These were popular all across the internet. Some pages were dedicated to providing premade codes for icons so other people could use them easily.

     You used to be able to embed any music into a petpage that would automatically start playing and couldn't be paused because it didn't come with any sort of menu.

     Makeables are free to use lineart of Neopets. You would collect a bunch of lineart of the same species and colour them all to look like your character. Then you would put them all on your petpage while crediting the artists involved. Similarly, Pixel clubs (or clubs) would start with pixel art of a very tiny object. People were encouraged to colour their own version and share it. It was a club in a way because you would collect other people's versions of the items.

     People have always been linking to their favourite petpages in their shops. It's a great way to spread the word and find old pages. You might be surprised how many active players who haven't updated their shop in at least a decade.

     Petpages used to be always named very literal things such as "Name's Guide To Example Game" or "Name's Premades" and this is still common. Usually for pages that have free to use resources, pretty words such as "Floral" or "Midnight" are popular names. This isn't a problem because petpages usually link to other similar pages, so you still have an idea of what simply named pages are for. Titles like "Pet Name's Game Guide" have always been popular.

     One of the oldest surviving popular petpages is by far neopets.com/~Neo____Zafara. It has always been devoted to helping others find dailies and games to play. Even now, you can still sometimes find it linked in people's shops. The best part is, it's still being updated!

     Another old trend that has come and gone is awards! People would make custom images to compliment others on a well made petpage. They were often a gold trophy and sometimes had the winner's username on it. It's important etiquette to never use an award found on a petpage unless you won it. Some people accepted submissions for their awards. People would also throw together an image in MS Paint to make a one-off award for their friend. Free awards used to be very common. Award sections on popular petpages were too. Free awards are a fun way to have people link back to you in a creative, yet silly way. I keep a collection of free awards (that anyone can use) at neopets.com/~lol2000

     Some graphics would "hatch". The image would originally be an egg and then eventually be replaced by a surprise image that uses the same exact source link. Not many have survived. Here's an example: neopets.com/~Zorathix

     ~~~Types Of Petpages~~~

     Most petpages are meant to teach you all about someone's original character including their backstory, art references, screenshots, and more. Adoptables have always been a very popular trend on all kinds of petpages, but are most common on character-centric pages. Adoptables on Neopets are drawings of various pet and colour combinations that are meant to be shared around for free. I wrote an NT article called "A Guide To Adoptables" if you'd like to learn more.

     Sometimes character pages are made to be an application to adopt a dream pet, usually a very valuable name or an unconverted pet. No one is allowed to force others to make an application petpage. An application is meant to prove that you would be a great owner because you would cherish the pet and have plans for them.

     Petpages are used to share: your art, stories, your pets, a collection of outfits, items for trade, pets for trade, wishlists, and any other kind of project you can think of that would belong on Neopets.

     Portfolio petpages seem to be a trend that's only started in the last 5 to 10 years. They're used for sharing your Neopets goals, achievements, and descriptions of your pets. Sometimes these are purely for sharing your art.

     Petpages are also the host to all kinds of different guides no matter how niche the part of the site is. Petpages help people expand upon their guilds to run events and share news.

     Making graphics is very popular, but not as much in recent years. Some projects would involve sharing things like backgrounds, dividers, and blank banners for anyone to use for free. Premade resources make the barrier of entry into making a petpage very low. The Neopets HTML guide is appropriate for all ages to learn the basics of using premade code with your own content: neopets.com/help/html1.phtml

     I remember being a little kid making petpages. I learned a few simple tricks with that guide. The first time I added a link to an image I was so excited. My childhood petpages never had layouts, just Team Maraqua graphics and links to other petpages. My only surviving old petpage is stored here: neopets.com/~________BOB____ It was owned by a different pet back then.

     You can decorate every part of your Neopets account using premade layouts for your shop, gallery, and lookups. Just remove or replace the filler text with your own as the bare minimum.

     You can adopt pets through petpages by finding pound listings, users who have them up for adoption, untaken names, and dream pet giveaways. I have found memorable names, aged pets, and Lab Ray exclusive colours for free through various petpages. If you keep on looking you're bound to find a hidden gem.

     Find them here: neopets.com/~Petpage#adopt

     If you want to share your pet, there are so many kinds of pet directories based on species, colour, and outfit theme. Some people go the extra mile and share facts and NPCs of the species they're listing. The earliest pet directories had the original unconverted artwork with a list of names underneath. These didn't always link to their pet lookups. Without pet customisation, it made sense at the time.

     If you transfer a pet to the pound or any other account, usually the page will get deleted. This is why it's so important that you always keep a backup copy of your petpage's codes. Tons of old pages are blank with goodbye messages that are usually only a few words. Sometimes it's because they never backed up their work.

     There are many more kinds of petpages, but those are the most common. Memorable original projects are always out there!

     ~~~Site Spotlight~~~

     Site Spotlight was a contest that started in Y2 (2000) to feature fan sites and petpages to the whole community. These were picked by TNT. Winners got a gold computer trophy on their lookup and an avatar. Many of the earliest winners were fan sites hosted outside of Neopets. Most are lost to time, but some have been archived elsewhere online. As of writing this, the spotlight has not been active since early Y17 (2015).

     Find it here: neopets.com/sitespotlight.phtml

     ~~~Buttons And Affiliates~~~

     Buttons are the biggest way people spread the word about their petpage. In the early 2000s, buttons would come in just about any size. Modern buttons are almost always 88x31 pixels. This has become a standard across almost all petpages. Pages dedicated to gifting custom buttons have become increasingly popular.

     Affiliates on a petpage are when two Neopians mutually agree to link to each other's pages. This is a great way to cross-promote and help other people discover your work. You have to ask others directly if they want to become affiliates. Because people have always been linking to each other, it's possible to find petpages from all across Neopia's history. neopets.com/~Petpage is proof of that!

     ~~~Petpages Encourage So Much Creativity~~~

     People are motivated by petpages to create a small space that they fully customise. Many earlier players (myself included) learned some HTML and CSS code because of petpages. This has no doubt inspired people to continue to code throughout their lives and even pursue careers in tech. Petpages are the most creative and diverse part of Neopia because you can create such a broad diversity of projects through them. It is incredible to me that pages made 10 to 20 years ago are still helping players today because people linked to each other so often.

     I highly recommend skimming the sections of neopets.com/~Petpage to get an idea of the sheer variety that exists. Doing so can cause you to find useful guides that you would've never thought to look for. You're likely to find an aspect of Neopets you never knew about!

     How did I find all of those links for my directory? I originally played Neopets from 2006 to 2008. Back then I ran a petpage directory that didn't even have a layout because I knew so little HTML. I saved only a few on a non-Neo personal website. When I returned to Neopets in 2020, those few links helped me find many more petpages. This is because petpages usually link to other pages! This sent me down a Cybunny hole of research that took literal months. I also visit every petpage link I see on the Neoboards. Every time I found an older petpage directory I "absorbed" them. I only saved links that are worth looking at.