The majority of us must have encountered codes like 403, 404, 500, and many more. But have you ever wondered what these codes actually mean? Of course, you do not know each and every status code, and the codes mentioned above are not the only codes.
This is why we are here with an informative blog, helping you know about these HTTPS status codes. Before diving into understanding the codes, let us first shed some light on what these codes actually are.
What are HTTPS Status Codes?
HTTP status codes are three-digit signals sent from the server to the browser in response to some sort of request. Most of us have seen the classic 404 error page, which is actually an HTTP client error status code. This is just one of many possible types of codes.
These signals are often called response status codes, and they are essential to how a server communicates with a browser. A status code tells the browser what happened with their request, and there are many classes of codes based on the response.
Using the first digit of the code to categorise it, we can see that the 404 code fits within the 4xx status category, meaning that the page or website cannot be reached for some reason.
Any code that has a 2 in the first position, like a 200 status code, means the request has been completed or processed. The structured and organized codes help both users and developers see and understand the status of their web actions and experiences.
Categorization of HTTPS Status Codes
HTTP status codes come in five distinct categories, and it is helpful to know the category of a response, even if you do not see the status code. Familiarity with the categories can increase your proficiency in troubleshooting websites.
If you would like to know more in-depth explanations of all of the categories and status codes, feel free to click on the respective link below or check out our complete list of HTTP status codes.
1. 1xx (Informational) – This category signals that the server has received the request and is processing it. It is an indication that the server is processing your request and that a response will be sent shortly.
2. 2xx (Successful) – This code category means that the server has successfully processed the request, and the browser has received the response that it wanted. This is a good thing and implies that everything went smoothly.
3. 3xx (Redirection) – This code category tells you that the requested resource has moved or that further action is required to complete the request. This often involves you being redirected to a different URL. In these cases, the server is telling you that the request was acknowledged, but there are additional steps to take to get to the finish line.
4. 4xx (Client Error) – This category signifies that there was an issue with the request from the client side. It could mean that the webpage you sought is unavailable, or there was a problem with the syntax of your request, suggesting that the browser was unable to communicate effectively with the server.
5. 5xx (Server Error) – When faced with a status code in this range, the problem lies with the server itself. While your request seemed valid, the server encountered an issue that prevented it from fulfilling the request, indicating an internal error that needs to be resolved on the server’s end.
List of HTTPS Status Codes
| Status Code | Meaning |
| 1xx Informational codes | |
| 100 | It is a status code that means that the server has received the request, and the client can proceed. |
| 101 | It is a switching protocol status code that indicates that the server understands the upgrade request and specifies the new protocol. |
| 102 | It is a processing status code that indicates that the server has accepted the request but has not completed it yet, and no response is available. |
| 103 | It is an early hints status code that allows preloading resources while the server responds. |
| 2xx Successful Codes | |
| 200 | It is an OK status code, meaning a successful request, varying by method: – GET fetches the resource, – HEAD sends headers only, – POST/PUT includes a result description, and – TRACE returns the request. For SEO, it indicates a functioning page that search engines can index. |
| 201 | It is a created status code indicating that the request was successfully fulfilled and new resources were created. |
| 202 | It is an Accepted status code indicating that a request has been accepted for processing, but is not yet complete. |
| 203 | It is a non-authoritative information code indicating that a local copy or third party has accepted the request. |
| 204 | It is a no-content status code indicating that the server has accepted the request, but there is no content on the page. |
| 205 | It is a reset content status code indicating that the user should reset the document that has been submitted. |
| 206 | It is a partial content response code indicating that the client has requested a part of the content using the Range header. |
| 207 | It is a multi-status code indicating multiple applicable status codes for resources. |
| 208 | It is a status code in DAV: propstat, preventing repeated listing of multiple bindings in a collection. |
| 226 | It is an IM response code, meaning the server successfully handled a GET request and returned the results of instance manipulations. |
| 3xx Redirection Status Code | |
| 300 | It is a status code indicating that there are multiple possible responses, and the user should choose one. |
| 301 | It is a Moved Permanently response status code, meaning that a resource has a new URL. |
| 302 | It is a Found status code, which means the request URI has changed temporarily. Use the effective URI for future requests. |
| 303 | It is a See Other code directing the client to a different URI for the resource. |
| 304 | It is a Not Modified response code that tells the client that the response has not changed, allowing the client to use the cached version. |
| 305 | It is a Use Proxy status code that directs a client to use a proxy and is deprecated for security reasons. |
| 306 | It is a Switch proxy status code that is no longer in use. It indicates that subsequent requests should use the specified proxy |
| 307 | It is a Temporary Redirect code that sends clients to a different URI without changing the request method. |
| 308 | It is a Permanent Redirect status code indicating a resource has a new URI for future requests. |
| 4xx Client Error Codes | |
| 400 | It is a Bad Request, which means that the server cannot process the request due to invalid syntax or a malformed request from the client. |
| 401 | It is an Unauthorized status code, which means that the client must authenticate itself because it failed to provide valid credentials. |
| 402 | It is a Payment Required status code, which means that access is restricted until payment is made, though it is mainly reserved for future use. |
| 403 | It is a Forbidden status code, which means that the server understands the request but refuses to authorize it. |
| 404 | It is a Not Found status code, which means that the server can’t find the requested resource on the server. |
| 405 | It is a Method Not Allowed status code, which means that the request method is not supported for the specified resource. |
| 406 | It is a Not Acceptable status code, which means that the server cannot provide a response matching the Accept headers in the request. |
| 407 | It is a Proxy Authentication Required status code, which means that the client must authenticate with a proxy server before continuing. |
| 408 | It is a Request Timeout status code, which means that the server timed out while waiting for the complete request from the client. |
| 409 | It is a Conflict status code, which means that the request could not be processed due to a conflict with the current state of the resource. |
| 410 | It is a Gone status code, which means that the requested resource has been permanently removed and is no longer available. |
| 411 | It is a Length Required status code, which means that the server requires a valid Content-Length header in the request. |
| 412 | It is a Precondition Failed status code, which means that the server did not meet a condition in the request headers. |
| 413 | It is a Payload Too Large status code, which means that the server refuses to process the request because the payload is too large. |
| 414 | It is a URI Too Long status code, which means that the URI requested by the client is too long for the server to process. |
| 415 | It is an Unsupported Media Type status code, which means that the server will not accept the request’s media type. |
| 416 | It is a Range Not Satisfiable status code, which means that the server cannot fulfil the requested byte range. |
| 417 | It is an Expectation Failed status code, which means that the server cannot meet the expectation specified in the request’s headers. |
| 418 | It is an I’m a Teapot status code, which means that the server refuses to brew coffee because it is a teapot (used as a joke). |
| 421 | It is a Misdirected Request status code, which means that the request was sent to a server that cannot respond appropriately. |
| 422 | It is an Unprocessable Content status code, which means that the server understands the request but cannot process its semantic instructions. |
| 423 | It is a Locked status code, which means that the requested resource is currently locked and cannot be modified or accessed. |
| 424 | It is a Failed Dependency status code, which means that the request failed because it depended on another failed request. |
| 425 | It is a Too Early status code, which means that the server is unwilling to risk processing a replayable request too early. |
| 426 | It is an Upgrade Required status code, which means that the client must switch to a different protocol to proceed. |
| 428 | It is a Precondition Required status code, which means that the server requires conditional requests to prevent lost updates. |
| 429 | It is a Too Many Requests status code, which means that the client has sent too many requests in a short period of time. |
| 431 | It is a Request Header Fields Too Large status code, which means that the server refuses to process the request due to oversized headers. |
| 451 | It is an Unavailable For Legal Reasons status code, which means that the requested content is unavailable due to legal demands or restrictions. |
| 5xx Server Error Codes | |
| 500 | It is an Internal Server Error status code, which means that the server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request. |
| 501 | It is a Not Implemented status code, which means that the server does not support the functionality required to complete the request. |
| 502 | It is a Bad Gateway status code, which means that the server received an invalid response from an upstream server while acting as a gateway or proxy. |
| 503 | It is a Service Unavailable status code, which means that the server is temporarily unable to handle the request due to overload or maintenance. |
| 504 | It is a Gateway Timeout status code, which means that the server didn’t receive a timely response from an upstream server. |
| 505 | It is an HTTP Version Not Supported status code, which means that the server does not support the HTTP version used in the request. |
| 506 | It is a Variant Also Negotiates status code, which means that a variant resource configured for negotiation is improperly configured and caused a loop. |
| 507 | It is an Insufficient Storage status code, which means that the server cannot store the necessary representation to complete the request. |
| 508 | It is a Loop Detected status code, which means that the server terminated the request due to an infinite loop detected during processing. |
| 510 | It is a Not Extended status code, which means that further extensions to the request are required to be fulfilled. |
| 511 | It is a Network Authentication Required status code, which means that the client must authenticate to gain network access, often shown by captive portals. |
1xx (Informational Responses) and SEO
1xx HTTP status codes indicate the request has been received for processing. Users or search engines extremely rarely encounter these types of codes because the actual behavior is in the background communication between a browser and a server.
Since search engine bots never really respond to 1xx codes in a traditional sense, they do not have a notable impact on SEO.
However, a server misconfiguration could expose 1xx codes or misuse them, leading to trailing crawling behavior and indirectly affecting indexing in extreme crawling conditions, such as real-time content delivery or streaming services.
2xx (Successful Responses) and SEO
Status codes in the 2xx range indicate that an HTTP request has been correctly received, understood, and accepted. The most relevant status code, which is in the range, is 200 OK. 200 OK informs search engines, including their bots, that the page can be accessed and that everything is working as expected.
A persistent 200 status on a web page is favorable for indexing, crawling, and ranking visibility. Other status codes, like 204 (No Content), might confuse bots if overused. To maintain SEO health, the essential pages that you want indexed should return a 200 status response to have search engines recognize them as valid, indexable resources.
3xx (Redirection Responses) and SEO
3xx response codes indicate that a resource has been redirected. The more SEO relevant codes are as follows: 301 (Permanent Redirect) and 302 (Temporary Redirect).
A 301 redirect is the preferred option because it passes most link equity and is best used when URLs change permanently.
A 302 redirect indicates a temporary move and may not pass any SEO value. Improper or too many redirects can result in a crawl that takes much longer, making it inefficient for crawl time and user sessions.
Avoid redirect chains and redirect loops; this will only bog down crawling and perhaps lose page ranking. Knowing how to use the 3xx stage codes correctly will help keep your link juice and authority for your site.
4xx (Client Error Responses) and SEO
4xx errors, and specifically 404 Not Found, are an indicator that a page is gone or that a page is no longer accessible. When search engines encounter a number of 4xx errors, they will crawl the site less in the future and will see the site as a less reliable source. Broken links cause users’ frustration and have a detrimental impact on SEO performance.
A 404 once in a while is okay to encounter, but if multiple errors persist, then it needs to be rectified or redirected appropriately. Additionally, other error types like 410 Gone have an even stronger meaning that represents that the content is permanently gone.
By managing your 4xx responses, you will provide a better experience for the user and save the crawl budget.
5xx (Server Error Responses) and SEO
Status codes in the 5xx range signify that the server has failed to complete the request and is unable to serve any content from the site in question.
When search engine bots encounter these types of errors, they are not suspicious of your site, but instead realize your site is not reliable and could indicate dropped rankings or deindexed pages.
Common issues like a 500 (Internal Server Error) or a 503 (Service Unavailable) can not only block crawling altogether, but multiple 5xx errors can reduce trust with search engines and give an impression of volatility.
It is important to stress good server uptime and quickly fix any back-end faults for the sake of SEO. A well-constructed and functioning server helps ease consistency in crawling, indexing, and, in turn, better search visibility.
Final Say
Whenever you maintain your website, make sure you know what HTTP status codes are at play. These codes will provide you with insight into how your web server talks to the browser and search engine bots.
(2xx) Successful responses, (3xx) redirects, (4xx) customer errors, and (5xx) server errors are all utilized by your website and affect the overall user experience/customer journey, technical SEO, and whether search engines/crawlers will retrieve your web pages.
When you check for HTTP Status Codes often and the report reports codes that can potentially affect your site, then it only makes sense to fix those mistakes. Regularly monitoring your status codes can help you resolve crawl errors, minimize lost traffic, and maximize trust across users.
Understanding what those codes mean is key to allowing you to sustain your health on the website, knowing how to proceed with technical SEO, and maintaining trust with all users of the web. If you want to optimize your website, we MageComp are here to help your website rank higher on search engines and reach success heights. Feel free to contact us.
Thank you for reading!!!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the HTTP status codes?
HTTP status codes are standardized responses from a server to a client’s request. They indicate whether a request was successful, redirected, failed due to client error, or failed due to server error.
2. What are HTTP status codes 400 and 401?
HTTP 400 indicates a “Bad Request,” meaning the server couldn’t understand the request due to invalid syntax. HTTP 401 means “Unauthorized,” indicating the client must authenticate before the request can be fulfilled.
3. What are status codes 2xx, 3xx, 4xx, 5xx in API?
In APIs, 2xx indicates success, 3xx means redirection, 4xx shows client errors, and 5xx signals server-side errors. These codes help developers understand and handle the response from the API server appropriately.
4. What is a 499 status code?
HTTP 499 is a non-standard code used by some servers like NGINX. It indicates the client closed the connection before the server could send a response, often due to timeouts or aborted requests.
5. What is HTTP code 600?
HTTP status code 600 is not an official standard. However, some systems use it internally to represent undefined or custom errors that don’t fall into standard HTTP status code categories. Use with caution.
