HTTP status codes: what 404, 403, 500 and the rest mean

Every time a browser asks for a page, the server answers with a three-digit code. Type a number or word to find what it means.

How the codes work

Before sending a page, a web server sends a status code that says how the request went. You never see it when all is well (the code is 200). You see it when something fails, usually as "404 Not Found" or "503 Service Unavailable" in large letters.

The first digit tells you the family, and that is most of what you need:

1xx: wait. The server is still working on it. Rarely seen.
2xx: success. The request worked.
3xx: look elsewhere. The thing has moved, or your saved copy is still good. The browser follows these by itself.
4xx: the request was the problem. A wrong address, a missing login, no permission, or too many requests. Something on the asking side needs to change.
5xx: the server is the problem. The website broke or is overloaded. Nothing you do on your device will fix it; waiting usually does.

So the quickest reading of any error is its first digit: a 4 means check the address, your login or your permissions; a 5 means the site has a fault and you should try again later.

Code	Name	In plain words
100	ContinueWait	The server has received the first part of the request and the browser may send the rest.
101	Switching ProtocolsWait	The server agrees to change to another protocol, for example to a WebSocket connection.
200	OKSuccess	Everything worked. The page or data follows.
201	CreatedSuccess	The request made something new, such as a new record.
204	No ContentSuccess	It worked and there is nothing to send back.
206	Partial ContentSuccess	Only the asked-for part of a file is sent. Video players and resumed downloads use this.
301	Moved PermanentlyLook elsewhere	The page has a new address for good. Browsers and search engines switch to it.
302	FoundLook elsewhere	The page is at another address for now. Keep using the old address in future.
303	See OtherLook elsewhere	Look at another address for the result, usually after a form was sent.
304	Not ModifiedLook elsewhere	Your saved copy is still current, so the server does not send the page again.
307	Temporary RedirectLook elsewhere	Like 302, but the browser must repeat the request in exactly the same way.
308	Permanent RedirectLook elsewhere	Like 301, but the browser must repeat the request in exactly the same way.
400	Bad RequestRequest problem	The server could not understand the request. Often a damaged cookie or a mistyped address; clearing the site's cookies helps.
401	UnauthorizedRequest problem	You must log in first, or the login details were wrong.
403	ForbiddenRequest problem	The server understood but refuses. You are not allowed to see this, or your address is blocked.
404	Not FoundRequest problem	Nothing exists at this address. The page was removed or the link is mistyped.
405	Method Not AllowedRequest problem	This address does not accept the kind of request that was made.
408	Request TimeoutRequest problem	Your device took too long to send the request. Usually a weak connection.
409	ConflictRequest problem	The request clashes with the present state, for example two people saved changes to the same thing.
410	GoneRequest problem	The page was removed on purpose and will not return.
413	Content Too LargeRequest problem	What you tried to upload is bigger than the server accepts.
414	URI Too LongRequest problem	The address is longer than the server will read.
415	Unsupported Media TypeRequest problem	The server does not accept this kind of file or data.
418	I'm a teapotRequest problem	A joke code from 1998. A few sites use it for fun.
429	Too Many RequestsRequest problem	You, or someone sharing your address, asked too often. Wait a while and try again.
451	Unavailable For Legal ReasonsRequest problem	The page is blocked because of a legal demand.
500	Internal Server ErrorServer problem	The website itself broke. Nothing is wrong on your side; try again later.
501	Not ImplementedServer problem	The server does not support what was asked.
502	Bad GatewayServer problem	A server in the middle got a bad answer from the server behind it. Usually short-lived.
503	Service UnavailableServer problem	The site is overloaded or under maintenance. Try again in a few minutes.
504	Gateway TimeoutServer problem	A server in the middle waited too long for the server behind it.
505	HTTP Version Not SupportedServer problem	The server does not accept the HTTP version the request used.

Code

Name

In plain words

100

ContinueWait

The server has received the first part of the request and the browser may send the rest.

101

Switching ProtocolsWait

The server agrees to change to another protocol, for example to a WebSocket connection.

200

OKSuccess

Everything worked. The page or data follows.

201

CreatedSuccess

The request made something new, such as a new record.

204

No ContentSuccess

It worked and there is nothing to send back.

206

Partial ContentSuccess

Only the asked-for part of a file is sent. Video players and resumed downloads use this.

301

Moved PermanentlyLook elsewhere

The page has a new address for good. Browsers and search engines switch to it.

302

FoundLook elsewhere

The page is at another address for now. Keep using the old address in future.

303

See OtherLook elsewhere

Look at another address for the result, usually after a form was sent.

304

Not ModifiedLook elsewhere

Your saved copy is still current, so the server does not send the page again.

307

Temporary RedirectLook elsewhere

Like 302, but the browser must repeat the request in exactly the same way.

308

Permanent RedirectLook elsewhere

Like 301, but the browser must repeat the request in exactly the same way.

400

Bad RequestRequest problem

The server could not understand the request. Often a damaged cookie or a mistyped address; clearing the site's cookies helps.

401

UnauthorizedRequest problem

You must log in first, or the login details were wrong.

403

ForbiddenRequest problem

The server understood but refuses. You are not allowed to see this, or your address is blocked.

404

Not FoundRequest problem

Nothing exists at this address. The page was removed or the link is mistyped.

405

Method Not AllowedRequest problem

This address does not accept the kind of request that was made.

408

Request TimeoutRequest problem

Your device took too long to send the request. Usually a weak connection.

409

ConflictRequest problem

The request clashes with the present state, for example two people saved changes to the same thing.

410

GoneRequest problem

The page was removed on purpose and will not return.

413

Content Too LargeRequest problem

What you tried to upload is bigger than the server accepts.

414

URI Too LongRequest problem

The address is longer than the server will read.

415

Unsupported Media TypeRequest problem

The server does not accept this kind of file or data.

418

I'm a teapotRequest problem

A joke code from 1998. A few sites use it for fun.

429

Too Many RequestsRequest problem

You, or someone sharing your address, asked too often. Wait a while and try again.

451

Unavailable For Legal ReasonsRequest problem

The page is blocked because of a legal demand.

500

Internal Server ErrorServer problem

The website itself broke. Nothing is wrong on your side; try again later.

501

Not ImplementedServer problem

The server does not support what was asked.

502

Bad GatewayServer problem

A server in the middle got a bad answer from the server behind it. Usually short-lived.

503

Service UnavailableServer problem

The site is overloaded or under maintenance. Try again in a few minutes.

504

Gateway TimeoutServer problem

A server in the middle waited too long for the server behind it.

505

HTTP Version Not SupportedServer problem

The server does not accept the HTTP version the request used.

What to do about the ones you meet most

404 Not Found. Check the address for typing slips. Go to the site's home page and search for the page from there. If you followed a link from another site, the page has probably been moved or removed.

403 Forbidden. You are not allowed to see the page. Log in if the site has accounts. If you are sure you should have access, a VPN, an office network or a shared address may have been blocked; try another connection.

401 Unauthorized. Log in again. A wrong password or an expired session causes it.

429 Too Many Requests. Stop reloading and wait a few minutes. If you share your public address with many people (see carrier-grade NAT), someone else may have used up the allowance.

400 Bad Request. Clear the cookies for that one site and try again. A damaged or oversized cookie is the usual cause.

500 Internal Server Error. The website's own software failed. Reload once after a minute. If it continues, only the site's owners can fix it.

502 Bad Gateway and 504 Gateway Timeout. Large sites put a front server before their real servers. These codes mean the front server could not get a good answer in time. They usually clear within minutes.

503 Service Unavailable. The site is overloaded or under maintenance. Popular sites show it during ticket sales, results days and sales events. Try again a little later rather than hammering the reload button, which adds to the load.

Errors that are not status codes

Messages such as "This site can't be reached", "DNS address could not be found" or "Connection timed out" come from your own browser. They mean no answer arrived at all, so there is no code. The cause is usually your connection, DNS, or a server that is completely down. Our slow Wi-Fi fixes and DNS guide cover these.

Is a 404 error a problem with my internet?

No. A 404 came from the website's server, so your connection is working. The page simply is not at that address.

What is the difference between 401 and 403?

401 means "tell me who you are first". 403 means "I know enough, and the answer is no".

What is the difference between 301 and 302?

Both send you to another address. 301 says the move is permanent; 302 says it is for now.

HTTP status codes: what 404, 403, 500 and the rest mean

How the codes work

What to do about the ones you meet most

Errors that are not status codes

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