Question 1

What are HTTP status codes?

Accepted Answer

HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers returned by a server in response to a client's request. They indicate whether the request succeeded, failed, or needs further action. Codes are grouped into five categories based on the first digit: 1xx (informational), 2xx (success), 3xx (redirection), 4xx (client errors), and 5xx (server errors).

Question 2

What does a 200 OK status code mean?

Accepted Answer

200 OK is the standard success response. It means the request was received, understood, and processed successfully. The exact meaning depends on the HTTP method — for GET it returns the resource, for POST it confirms creation, and so on.

Question 3

What is the difference between 401 and 403?

Accepted Answer

401 Unauthorized means authentication is required or has failed — the client needs to provide valid credentials. 403 Forbidden means the server understood the request but refuses to authorize it, even with valid credentials.

Question 4

When should I expect a 500 Internal Server Error?

Accepted Answer

500 Internal Server Error is a generic error message returned when the server encounters an unexpected condition that prevents it from fulfilling the request. It usually indicates a bug or configuration issue on the server side.

Code	Name	When It Occurs
200	OK	Successful GET, PUT, PATCH requests
201	Created	Resource created via POST
204	No Content	Successful DELETE or update with no response body
301	Moved Permanently	Resource URL has changed permanently
304	Not Modified	Cached resource is still valid
400	Bad Request	Malformed syntax or invalid request
401	Unauthorized	Missing or invalid authentication
403	Forbidden	Authenticated but not authorized
404	Not Found	Requested resource does not exist
429	Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded
500	Internal Server Error	Unexpected server condition
503	Service Unavailable	Server temporarily overloaded or down

HTTP Status Codes Guide

Status Code Categories

Informational

Success

Redirection

Client Error

Server Error

Most Common Status Codes

How to Use Status Codes for Debugging