HTTP Status Codes

Every HTTP status code explained in plain words: what it means, when to send it and an example response. Free reference.

404 Not Found

There is nothing at this address.

When to use it: The URL or item does not exist. Also used to hide that a private item exists.

HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Content-Type: application/json

{"error": "user 7 not found"}

Name	Meaning	When to use it
Continue	The start of the request was received; the client may send the rest.	Sent when a client asked "Expect: 100-continue" before a large upload.
Switching Protocols	The server agrees to change protocol as asked.	Upgrading a connection to WebSocket.
Processing	The server is working on a long request (WebDAV).	Rarely used; keeps a WebDAV client from timing out.
Early Hints	Headers the client can use to start loading resources before the final response.	Send Link: rel=preload headers early while the page is being built.
OK	The request worked and the response holds the result.	The normal answer to a GET, or a POST/PUT that returns the result.
Created	A new resource was created.	After a successful POST that creates something. Include a Location header for the new resource.
Accepted	The request was accepted but is not finished.	For work done later (a queued job). Tell the client where to check the result.
Non-Authoritative Information	The response was changed by a proxy.	Sent by transforming proxies; seldom needed.
No Content	It worked and there is nothing to send back.	After a DELETE, or a PUT/PATCH that returns no body.
Reset Content	It worked; the client should reset the form or view.	After a form submit where the form should be cleared.
Partial Content	Only the requested part of the file is sent.	Answering a Range request, for video seeking or resumable downloads.
Multi-Status	Several results in one response (WebDAV).	Batch operations where each item has its own status.
Already Reported	Members were already listed earlier in the response (WebDAV).	Avoids repeating a resource in a WebDAV binding.
IM Used	The response is the result of an instance manipulation.	Delta encoding; almost never used.
Multiple Choices	There are several possible answers; the client picks.	Rare. Listing alternative representations of a resource.
Moved Permanently	The resource has a new address for good.	A permanent redirect, such as moving to HTTPS or a new URL. Search engines transfer ranking.
Found	The resource is temporarily at another address.	A temporary redirect, for example after login. The client keeps using the old URL.
See Other	Get the result from another address with GET.	Redirect after a POST so a refresh does not repeat it (Post/Redirect/Get).
Not Modified	The cached copy is still good.	Answering a conditional GET (If-None-Match / If-Modified-Since) with no body.
Use Proxy	Use a proxy to reach the resource (deprecated).	Do not use.
Temporary Redirect	Temporarily elsewhere; repeat the same method and body.	Like 302 but guarantees a POST stays a POST.
Permanent Redirect	Permanently elsewhere; repeat the same method and body.	Like 301 but guarantees the method is not changed.
Bad Request	The request is malformed or invalid.	Broken JSON, missing required fields, or a value of the wrong type.
Unauthorized	The request has no valid credentials.	The user is not signed in or the token is missing or expired. (The name is historic: it means "unauthenticated".)
Payment Required	Payment is needed.	Reserved; some APIs use it for exhausted plans or billing problems.
Forbidden	The server understood but refuses.	The user is signed in but is not allowed to do this.
Not Found	There is nothing at this address.	The URL or item does not exist. Also used to hide that a private item exists.
Method Not Allowed	The method is not supported for this address.	POST to a read-only endpoint. Send an Allow header listing valid methods.
Not Acceptable	Nothing matches the formats the client accepts.	The Accept header asks for a type the server cannot produce.
Proxy Authentication Required	The proxy needs credentials.	A proxy in front of the server asks the client to sign in.
Request Timeout	The server gave up waiting for the request.	The client was too slow sending the request.
Conflict	The request clashes with the current state.	Creating something that already exists, or an edit based on an old version.
Gone	The resource used to exist and is permanently removed.	Deleted for good; tells search engines to drop it faster than a 404.
Length Required	A Content-Length header is required.	Rejecting an upload that did not say how big it is.
Precondition Failed	A condition in the request headers was not met.	If-Match failed: the item changed since the client last saw it.
Content Too Large	The request body is too big.	An upload over the size limit.
URI Too Long	The address is too long.	A query string beyond what the server accepts; use POST instead.
Unsupported Media Type	The body format is not supported.	Sending XML to an endpoint that accepts only JSON.
Range Not Satisfiable	The requested byte range is outside the file.	A Range request that starts past the end of the file.
Expectation Failed	The Expect header cannot be met.	Rejecting Expect: 100-continue.
I'm a teapot	A joke status from a 1998 April Fools document.	Novelty; some services use it to refuse bots or unwanted requests.
Misdirected Request	The request went to a server that cannot answer it.	HTTP/2 connection reuse for the wrong host.
Unprocessable Content	The request is well formed but its content is invalid.	Validation errors on a field: valid JSON, but the age is negative.
Locked	The resource is locked (WebDAV).	Editing a document someone else holds a lock on.
Failed Dependency	A previous request in the batch failed (WebDAV).	Part of a multi-step WebDAV operation.
Too Early	The server will not risk processing a replayable request.	TLS 1.3 early data that could be replayed.
Upgrade Required	Switch to a different protocol first.	Insisting on TLS or a newer protocol version.
Precondition Required	The request must be conditional.	Forcing If-Match to avoid lost updates.
Too Many Requests	The client is sending requests too fast.	Rate limiting. Send Retry-After.
Request Header Fields Too Large	The headers are too big.	Huge cookies or headers.
Unavailable For Legal Reasons	Blocked because of a legal demand.	Content removed by court order or law.
Internal Server Error	Something went wrong on the server.	An unexpected error. Do not use for client mistakes.
Not Implemented	The server does not support this feature.	A method or feature the server has no code for.
Bad Gateway	A gateway got a bad answer from the server behind it.	The upstream app crashed or returned garbage to your proxy (Nginx, load balancer).
Service Unavailable	The server cannot handle requests right now.	Maintenance or overload. Send Retry-After.
Gateway Timeout	A gateway did not get an answer in time.	The upstream app was too slow behind your proxy.
HTTP Version Not Supported	The HTTP version is not supported.	A request in a protocol version the server refuses.
Variant Also Negotiates	A configuration error in content negotiation.	Misconfigured server.
Insufficient Storage	The server is out of space (WebDAV).	Storing the request would exceed the quota.
Loop Detected	The server found an endless loop (WebDAV).	Circular bindings.
Not Extended	A needed extension is missing.	Rare.
Network Authentication Required	The client must sign in to the network.	Captive portals at hotels and airports.

Shortcuts: Ctrl+Enter run · Ctrl+Shift+C copy result · / search (use ⌘ on Mac)

HTTP Status Codes: Meaning, When to Use, Examples

Look up any HTTP status code and see what it means, when to use it and what a real response looks like. Type a number or a word such as "redirect" in the search box. It gives developers a quick browser-based way to solve a focused http status codes task before moving the result into a project.

How to use this list

Search by number (404), by word (timeout) or filter by group with the buttons. Press a code to see an example response you can copy.

Common mistakes

Returning 200 with an error message in the body: clients and monitoring then think everything worked.
Using 500 for mistakes made by the caller: use a 4xx code so they know they can fix it.

Frequently asked questions

What do the five groups mean?

1xx: information, the request is still going. 2xx: success. 3xx: redirect, look somewhere else. 4xx: the client made a mistake. 5xx: the server failed.

401 or 403?

401 means "I do not know who you are": sign in. 403 means "I know who you are and you are not allowed". Use 401 when credentials are missing or invalid and 403 when they are valid but not enough.

301 or 302?

301 is a permanent move (browsers and search engines remember it). 302 is temporary. 307 and 308 are the same two but never turn a POST into a GET.

400 or 422?

400 when the request cannot be read (broken JSON). 422 when it can be read but the values are not acceptable (a negative age, an email that is not an email).

How do I use this http status codes tool?

Use the interactive controls above; processing stays in your browser and the result is intended as a practical starting point for development work.

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