Website Status Codes: A Quick Guide

As you navigate the internet, you may encounter various status codes that indicate the outcome of your request to access a webpage. These three-digit codes are part of the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) response that your browser receives from the web server. Understanding these codes can help troubleshoot issues and optimize your browsing experience. Let’s see what are some different categories of status codes and some common examples within each category.

Informational Status Codes (1xx)

Informational status codes provide insights into the ongoing communication between the client (browser) and the server. They are provisional responses indicating that the server has received the request and is still processing it.

Example:

100 Continue: The server has received the request headers and the client should proceed to send the request body.

Successful Status Codes (2xx)

These status codes imply that the client’s request has been successfully received, understood, and accepted by the server.

Examples:

200 OK: The request has been successfully completed, and the server has returned the requested data.

201 Created: The request has been fulfilled, and a new resource has been created as a result.

“2xx codes are always successful, but may indicate that the request has a different response than expected.” – Citation: Matt Jackson, 2xx status codes

Redirection Status Codes (3xx)

Redirection status codes indicate that further action is required by the client to fulfill the request. This usually involves following a different URL provided by the server.

Examples:

301 Moved Permanently: The requested resource has been permanently moved to a new location specified by the server.

302 Found: The requested resource is temporarily available at a different location, which the client should follow.

Client Error Status Codes (4xx)

Client error status codes signify that the request contains bad syntax or cannot be fulfilled by the server.

Examples:

400 Bad Request: The server cannot process the request due to incorrect syntax or invalid data.

404 Not Found: The requested resource could not be found on the server.

Server Error Status Codes (5xx)

These status codes denote that the server failed to fulfill an apparently valid request.

Examples:

500 Internal Server Error: The server encountered an error while processing the request, and it could not be completed.

503 Service Unavailable: The server is currently unable to handle the request due to temporary overload or maintenance.

Conclusion

To ensure a seamless browsing experience, it’s crucial to understand website status codes. By being familiar with these codes, you can quickly identify and troubleshoot problems that may arise during your online journey. Keep this guide handy as a quick reference to the various status codes you may encounter while exploring the world wide web.