Navigating the vast landscape of the internet often leads us to encounter a myriad of responses while accessing websites or online services. Among these, the infamous ‘404 Not Found’ and the enigmatic ‘500 Internal Server Error’ stand as two frequently encountered HTTP status codes. These codes, among a multitude of others, are part of the HTTP protocol, communicating crucial information about the success or failure of a web request.
Comprehending these codes is fundamental to grasping the language of the web. To make things easier, we’ve created this catalog of the HTTP status codes you’re most likely to encounter in your day-to-day, explaining their meanings and shedding light on their significance in the digital realm.
1xx Informational Responses
These status codes indicate provisional responses while the server is still processing the request.
100 Continue: The initial part of the request has been received, and the client can continue with the rest of the request.
101 Switching Protocols: The server agrees to change the protocol specified in the Upgrade request header.
2xx Success
These status codes indicate that the request was received, understood, and accepted successfully.
200 OK: The request has succeeded.
201 Created: The request has been fulfilled, and a new resource has been created.
202 Accepted: The request has been accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed.
204 No Content: The server successfully processed the request but does not need to return any content.
3xx Redirection
These status codes indicate that further action needs to be taken to complete the request.
300 Multiple Choices: Indicates multiple options for the resource from which the client can choose.
301 Moved Permanently: The requested resource has been permanently moved to a different location.
302 Found (Previously “Moved Temporarily”): The requested resource has been temporarily moved to a different location.
304 Not Modified: Indicates that the resource has not been modified since the last request.
4xx Client Errors
These status codes indicate that there was an error in the request made by the client.
400 Bad Request: The server cannot process the request due to a client error.
401 Unauthorized: The client must authenticate itself to get the requested response.
403 Forbidden: The server understood the request but refuses to authorize it.
404 Not Found: The requested resource could not be found on the server.
5xx Server Errors
These status codes indicate that the server failed to fulfill a valid request.
500 Internal Server Error: A generic error message indicating that something has gone wrong on the server.
501 Not Implemented: The server does not support the functionality required to fulfill the request.
502 Bad Gateway: The server received an invalid response from an upstream server.
503 Service Unavailable: The server is currently unable to handle the request due to temporary overloading or maintenance.
504 Gateway Timeout: The server did not receive a timely response from an upstream server while acting as a gateway or proxy.
Unofficial Codes (Not standardized by IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force))
There are also unofficial codes used by some systems:
420 Enhance Your Calm: Used by Twitter to indicate that the client has exceeded the rate limit.
451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons: Used to indicate that the server is denying access to the resource as a response to legal demands.
Understanding these HTTP status codes is crucial for diagnosing and troubleshooting web-related issues. They provide essential information about the outcome of a request, aiding both developers and users in understanding how to proceed.
It’s also important to note that these aren’t every single code out there! They’re simply the ones you’re most likely to encounter. If you want a full list, we recommend Mozilla’s status code document. And, if you have any questions or codes you think would be useful to include, leave us a comment!
Glossary: Understanding HTTP Status Codes
Navigating the vast landscape of the internet often leads us to encounter a myriad of responses while accessing websites or online services. Among these, the infamous ‘404 Not Found’ and the enigmatic ‘500 Internal Server Error’ stand as two frequently encountered HTTP status codes. These codes, among a multitude of others, are part of the HTTP protocol, communicating crucial information about the success or failure of a web request.
Comprehending these codes is fundamental to grasping the language of the web. To make things easier, we’ve created this catalog of the HTTP status codes you’re most likely to encounter in your day-to-day, explaining their meanings and shedding light on their significance in the digital realm.
1xx Informational Responses
These status codes indicate provisional responses while the server is still processing the request.
2xx Success
These status codes indicate that the request was received, understood, and accepted successfully.
3xx Redirection
These status codes indicate that further action needs to be taken to complete the request.
4xx Client Errors
These status codes indicate that there was an error in the request made by the client.
5xx Server Errors
These status codes indicate that the server failed to fulfill a valid request.
Unofficial Codes (Not standardized by IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force))
There are also unofficial codes used by some systems:
Understanding these HTTP status codes is crucial for diagnosing and troubleshooting web-related issues. They provide essential information about the outcome of a request, aiding both developers and users in understanding how to proceed.
It’s also important to note that these aren’t every single code out there! They’re simply the ones you’re most likely to encounter. If you want a full list, we recommend Mozilla’s status code document. And, if you have any questions or codes you think would be useful to include, leave us a comment!
Archives