What are HTTP status codes?

HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers returned by web servers to indicate the result of a request. They are grouped into categories: 1xx (informational), 2xx (success), 3xx (redirection), 4xx (client error), and 5xx (server error).

What is the difference between 401 and 403?

A 401 Unauthorized means the client has not provided valid authentication credentials. A 403 Forbidden means the client is authenticated but does not have permission to access the requested resource.

What does a 404 error mean?

A 404 Not Found error means the server could not find the requested resource. This usually occurs when a URL is typed incorrectly, a page has been deleted, or a link points to a non-existent resource.

When should I use 200 vs 201 vs 204?

Use 200 OK for successful GET requests. Use 201 Created when a new resource is successfully created (POST). Use 204 No Content when the request succeeds but there is no response body to return, like after a DELETE.

What causes 500 Internal Server Error?

A 500 error indicates an unexpected condition on the server that prevented it from fulfilling the request. Common causes include unhandled exceptions, misconfigured servers, and database connection failures.

Tools Developer ToolsHTTP Status Codes

HTTP Status Codes

Quick reference for all HTTP status codes

Filter

100 Continue

101 Switching Protocols

200 OK

201 Created

204 No Content

301 Moved Permanently

302 Found

304 Not Modified

400 Bad Request

401 Unauthorized

403 Forbidden

404 Not Found

405 Method Not Allowed

408 Request Timeout

409 Conflict

410 Gone

422 Unprocessable Entity

429 Too Many Requests

500 Internal Server Error

502 Bad Gateway

503 Service Unavailable

504 Gateway Timeout

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What Is HTTP Status Codes Reference?

HTTP Status Codes is a free online http status codes reference guide for developers. Quickly look up any HTTP status code to understand what it means, when to use it, and how to handle it in your applications.

Key Features

Complete reference for all standard HTTP status codes. Organized by category: informational, success, redirection, client error, and server error. Clear descriptions with practical examples. Quick search to find any status code. Helpful for both frontend and backend developers.

Why Know HTTP Status Codes?

Understanding HTTP status codes is fundamental for web development. They help you debug API issues, handle errors gracefully in your applications, and build REST APIs that follow best practices. Correct status codes improve API usability and client-side error handling.

Common Use Cases

Debug failed API requests by understanding the response code. Choose the correct status code when building REST API endpoints. Handle errors gracefully in frontend applications based on status codes. Troubleshoot server issues indicated by 5xx errors.

Best Practices for APIs

Always return the most specific status code that describes the outcome. Use 201 for resource creation, not just 200. Return 404 for missing resources, not 200 with an empty body. Include helpful error messages in response bodies alongside error status codes. Document which status codes your API returns.