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What Are HTTP Status Codes: A Complete Guide

What Are HTTP Status Codes: A Complete Guide

HTTP status codes are short messages as server responses to your request to view a page. These codes are generated by a server that is attached to a web page. They don’t form a part of the site’s content but can appear when your browser communicates with a server. You may not always see them, but website owners and developers must understand what are HTTP status codes and how they can help you resolve website issues.

This guide helps you learn what HTTP response codes are, and how to check HTTP status codes! Let’s delve into it!

What are HTTP Status Codes?

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When you visit a website, your browser responds with a 3-digit HTTP status code. These codes are like a conversation between your browser and the server. They inform you if things are okay with your website or if there are issues so that you can take action accordingly.

HTTP status codes are 3-digit responses from the server that are generated when a browser request is made. One of the most common HTTP response codes is a 404 page-not-found error.

This is an HTTP client error status code, which has a relevant meaning. The first digit of the code classifies its type. For example, 4xx indicates a client error, like a page not found, and 2xx signifies a successful request. Thus, it is important to understand what are HTTP response codes, to diagnose site errors and minimize downtime.

5 Types of Status Code Classes

HTTP status codes are categorized into five classes, and each type signifies different responses:

  1. 100s—Informational Codes: These indicate that the browser’s request is continuing.
  2. 200s—Success Codes: These signify that the server received, understood, and processed the browser’s request.
  3. 300s—Redirection Codes: These occur when a new resource replaces the requested resource.
  4. 400s—Client Error Codes: These show issues with the request.
  5. 500s—Server Error Codes: These show that the server encountered an error after accepting the request.

Common HTTP Status Codes

There are several types of status codes. Here’s a list of HTTP status codes, including some less common codes you might encounter:

100 Status Codes: Informational Responses Indicating the Request is Still in Progress

CodeDescription
100 Status CodesInformational responses that show that the request is still in progress
100The server has received the request headers and is waiting for the body
101Protocols are constantly getting modified as per the server
103Preliminary response headers before the final response

200 Status Codes: Summary of HTTP Status Codes

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Status CodeDescription
200 Status CodesSuccess responses indicating the request was successfully processed
200This means that the request has succeeded, and the server returned the expected response
201Shows that something new has been created
202The request was accepted; however, the processing is still pending
203The Proxy modified the server’s response
204The request succeeded, but no content was returned
205The request succeeded, and the user agent should reset the document view
206Partial Content – The server is delivering part of the resource due to a range header sent by the client

300 Status Codes: Redirection Messages

Status CodeDescription
300 Status CodesRedirection messages indicating the resource has been moved
300Shows multiple options for the resource
301This means that the resource has been shifted to a different or unique URL (permanently)
302This means that the resource has been shifted to a new URL (temporarily)
303Must use another URL to get the resource.
304No changes have been made to the resource since the last request
307Resource temporarily moved to another URL; use the original request method
308Resource permanently moved to another URL; use the original request method

400 Status Codes: Client Error Responses

Status CodeDescription
400 Status CodesClient error responses indicate problems with the request
400Bad Request – Shows a client error
401Request that requires authentication
402Reserved for future use. Often used for limitations or failed payments
403Forbidden error, which means the server understands but cannot authorize the request
404Resource error
405The resource does not support the request method
406The resource can only generate unacceptable content according to the Accept headers
407The client must authenticate with the proxy
408Time-out server error
409The request could not be processed due to a conflict
410The resource is not available and won’t be available again
411You must specify the length of the content
412Specified preconditions not met by the client
413The request entity is larger than the server will process
414The URL is quite lengthy, because of which the request cannot be processed
415The request has a media type the server does not support
416The mentioned range cannot be fulfilled
417Expect request-header field requirements not met
418I’m a teapot – April Fools’ joke response
422Unable to process the instructions
425The request cannot be processed as it might be replayed
426You must move to a different protocol
428The request should be conditional
429Indicates too many requests
431The server cannot process the request because of the large header fields
451The resource is unavailable due to legal reasons
499The client closed the request while the server was processing it with a short form NGINX

500 Status Codes: Server Error Responses

Status CodeDescription
500 Status CodesHighlights problems on the server side
500The server encountered an unexpected failure or error
501The functionality is not supported
502The server did not get a valid response from the server
503The server is currently unavailable
504No timely response was received from the server
505HTTP protocol not valid
508The server has exhausted its resources
509The server’s bandwidth limit has been exceeded
511You must authenticate to get network access
521Down server
525Failed SSL handshake with the server

Why HTTP Status Codes and Errors Are Important for SEO

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Search engine bots encounter HTTP status codes while crawling your site. These codes can affect how your pages are indexed and how search engines perceive your site’s health.

Generally, 100- and 200-level codes won’t impact your SEO significantly as they indicate that everything is functioning correctly. However, higher-level codes can affect your SEO performance.

300-Level Codes:

  • Permanent Redirects (301): These pass link equity from backlinks, helping SEO.
  • Temporary Redirects (302): These do not pass link equity, potentially losing SEO benefits.

400- and 500-Level Codes:

  • 400-Level Codes: Client errors that prevent bots from accessing your pages.
  • 500-Level Codes: Server errors indicate issues that can harm your site’s ranking.

Properly managing these codes ensures that search engines can crawl and index your content effectively.

HTTP Status Codes and SEO: Key Codes

Here are the five key status codes you need to know:

CodeDescription
200 (OK)Ensures relevant user experience and shows that pages are accessible
301 Moved PermanentlyThis is used when a page’s URL changes permanently. It redirects users and retains SEO value
302 FoundThis code is used for temporary redirects
404 Not FoundShows a page cannot be found. You must monitor and fix this error to prevent SEO issues
410 GoneThis shows a page is permanently gone. It is used to remove hacked content from search engine indexes

How to Check HTTP Status Codes in Chrome

Follow these steps to check HTTP status codes on Google Chrome:

Step 1: Open the URL you want to check, click on Developer Tools, and click on the “Network” tab.

Step 2: Refresh the page.

Step 3: Scroll to the top of the list of requests and find the first request of type “document”.

Step 4: In the “Status” column, you can find the HTTP response code.

How to Check HTTP Status Codes in Google Search Console

Google Search Console can help monitor how Google sees the HTTP status codes on your site. The Coverage report shows 300-, 400-, and 500-level status codes under different sections:

  • Errors: Pages with critical issues, like 404 or 500 errors.
  • Valid with Warnings: Pages that are indexed but have issues.
  • Excluded: Pages not indexed, possibly due to redirects or other reasons.
  • Valid: Pages that are properly indexed without issues.

Where to Learn More About HTTP Status Codes?

To delve deeper into HTTP status codes, consult these resources:

  • Wikipedia’s list of HTTP status codes
  • Internet Engineering Task Force status code definitions
  • RFC 7231

These resources can help you understand and resolve unique issues related to status codes.

Finding 404 Pages in Google Analytics

You can identify 404 pages in Google Analytics by checking the page titles. Here’s how:

Step 1: In your analytics tool, search for Site Content and then click on ‘All Pages.’

Step 2: Set the primary dimension to Page Title

Step 3: Search for “404” or “Page Not Found”.

This should generate a report of your 404 pages.

Fixing 404 Errors

Follow these steps to get rid of the 404 errors:

Step 1: Refresh the page.

Step 2: Check the URL.

Step 3: Try a different device.

If these steps don’t work, the content may have moved or been deleted.

Fixing 503 Errors

A 503 error indicates the server is unavailable. Here’s how to troubleshoot:

Step 1: Check server status.

Step 2: Restart the server.

Step 3: Analyze traffic and check if the traffic is legitimate or a DDoS attack.

Step 4: Upgrade server resources.

Regular 503 errors show a server issue that requires thorough investigation and immediate fixes.

Conclusion

Understanding HTTP status codes is integral to maintaining a healthy website and offering a convenient user experience. With HTTP requests explained thoroughly, you can also optimize your websites for search engines. These codes serve as communication between your server and clients and can impact your SEO performance.

You must regularly monitor these status codes to ensure your website remains accessible. A user-friendly and SEO-compliant delivers exceptional UI/UX. You must proactively manage this extensive list of HTTP status codes to prevent issues and maintain your search engine rankings.

Contact the professionals at Digital Pacific and gain deeper insights into less common codes. The experts will help you troubleshoot unique issues effectively and address errors promptly.

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