HTTP Status Code Reference
Complete reference for all HTTP response status codes — 1xx informational through 5xx server errors. Search by code number or keyword, filter by category, and read developer notes for common codes.
60 status codes
Status code categories
Informational
Request received, processing continues
Success
Request successfully received, understood, and accepted
Redirection
Further action needed to complete the request
Client Error
Request contains bad syntax or cannot be fulfilled
Server Error
Server failed to fulfil an apparently valid request
Most searched HTTP status codes
200 OK
The request succeeded. The meaning of "success" depends on the HTTP method.
201 Created
The request succeeded and a new resource was created. Returned after POST/PUT.
204 No Content
Success with no response body. Common for DELETE requests.
301 Moved Permanently
The resource has permanently moved to the URL in the Location header.
400 Bad Request
The server cannot process the request due to malformed syntax.
401 Unauthorized
Authentication is required. The client must authenticate to get the response.
403 Forbidden
The client is authenticated but does not have permission to access the resource.
404 Not Found
The server cannot find the requested resource.
422 Unprocessable Entity
The request is well-formed but contains semantic errors (e.g., validation failures).
429 Too Many Requests
Rate limit exceeded. The client has sent too many requests in a given timeframe.
500 Internal Server Error
A generic server-side error. The server encountered an unexpected condition.
503 Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to handle the request (overload or maintenance).
Frequently asked questions
What HTTP status code should an API return for validation errors?
422 Unprocessable Entity is the most semantically correct choice for validation errors — the request is well-formed but contains invalid data (e.g., missing required fields, invalid email format). Some APIs use 400 Bad Request for all client errors, which is also acceptable per RFC 9110.
Should APIs return 200 or 204 for DELETE requests?
204 No Content is the preferred response for successful DELETE requests that return no body. 200 OK is also correct if the response body includes a confirmation payload. Avoid returning 200 with an empty body — use 204 instead to be semantically precise.
What is HTTP 418 I'm a teapot?
418 is defined in RFC 2324 (Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol) as an April Fools' joke. It means "I'm a teapot; I refuse to brew coffee." Despite being a joke, 418 is included in most HTTP libraries and some APIs use it humorously.
What does 503 Service Unavailable mean?
503 means the server is temporarily unable to handle the request, usually due to maintenance or overload. Unlike 500, it implies the condition is temporary. Servers typically include a Retry-After header to indicate when the service will be available again.