You click on a link, and instead of the page, you suddenly see a 404, 500, or 503 error. What is the website actually trying to tell you? Every time you open a page, the server sends an HTTP status code: a three-digit number that indicates the outcome of the request. You usually don’t see that code, because if everything goes well (code 200), you simply see the page.
In this article, we explain all the common status codes in plain language. To keep things fun, we’ll use an analogy everyone is familiar with: a restaurant. You’re the customer, your browser places the order, and the web server is the waiter who comes back with a response.
The first number says the most
You don't have to memorize all the codes. The first digit tells you almost everything:
- 1xx · Please wait a moment: the waiter will let you know that he has heard you.
- 2xx · Success: Your order is on the table.
- 3xx · Look elsewhere: the dish is being served at another table.
- 4xx · User error: There is a problem with your order.
- 5xx · Server error: something's going wrong behind the scenes.
The Interactive Status Code Explorer
Search below by number or word, filter by group, and click on a code to see the explanation. At the bottom, you can test your knowledge with a short quiz.
⏳ 1xx · Please wait a moment
The server indicates that it is still processing.
100Continue
🍽️ The waiter says…The waiter nods: “Go ahead, I’m listening.” You can place the rest of your order.
What does this mean? The server has received the first part of a request, and the browser may proceed with the rest.
What can you do? Nothing. This happens invisibly in the background.
101Switching Protocols
🍽️ “We’llcontinue in another language,” says the waiter, and he switches to sign language.
What does this mean? The browser and server switch to a different protocol, such as WebSockets for live chat.
What can you do? Nothing. This is a normal part of live connections.
103Early Hints
🍽️ The waiter says, “Whileyour meal is still being prepared, the waiter will go ahead and set the table with cutlery and napkins.”
What does that mean? The server sends hints in advance so the browser can preload files. That makes your site faster.
What can you do? Nothing. It's just a speed trick.
✅ 2xx · Success
Everything went well.
200OK Popular
🍽️ The waiter says, “Here you go, your pizza!” Everything went exactly as it should.
What does that mean? The request was successful, and the page or file is being delivered properly.
What can you do? Enjoy it! This is the status you want to see.
201Created
🍽️ The waiter says, “Yourreservation has been made; table 12 is yours.”
What does this mean? Something new has been created on the server, such as an account or an order.
What can you do? Nothing. Your action was successful.
202Accepted
🍽️ The waiter says, “Noted! The kitchen will get right on it.” But your food hasn’t arrived yet.
What does this mean? The request has been received and will be processed later—for example, an export running in the background.
What can you do? Please be patient. The result will follow.
204No Content
🍽️ The waiter says...The waiter clears your table and walks away. It worked, but there's nothing to see.
What does this mean? The request was successful, but the server is intentionally not returning any content.
What can you do? Nothing. This is normal when, for example, saving or deleting.
206Partial Content
🍽️ The waiter says, "Here's one slice of pizza to start with; the rest will follow."
What does that mean? The server sends a portion of a file, for example, when streaming video or resuming a download.
What can you do? Nothing. That's just how streaming and downloads work.
↪️ 3xx · Look somewhere else
The content is located at a different address.
301Moved Permanently Popular
🍽️ The waiter says, “This restaurant has moved across the street—for good.” You’re immediately directed there.
What does this mean? The page has been permanently moved to a new address. Search engines will update to the new address.
What can you do? Website owner: Use a 301 redirect when switching to a new URL structure or domain name to maintain your rankings in Google.
302Found
🍽️ The waiter says, “Today we’re temporarily seated in the sunroom.” Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.
What does this mean? The page is temporarily located at a different address. Search engines still use the old address.
What can you do? Website owner: Use this only for temporary redirects. Permanently moved? Choose 301.
303See Other
🍽️ The waiter says, “Topay, please go to the cash register.”
What does that mean? For example, after you submit a form, the server redirects you to another page.
What can you do? Nothing. This prevents you from accidentally submitting a form twice.
304Not Modified
🍽️ The waiter says, “Do you still have the menu? Nothing has changed.”
What does that mean? The browser already has the page in its cache and doesn't need to download anything new.
What can you do? Nothing. This actually makes websites faster.
307Temporary Redirect
🍽️ The waiter says, “Just like 302,” but the waiter passes your order on to the temporary address exactly as you ordered it.
What does this mean? A temporary reroute where the request remains exactly the same.
What can you do? Nothing for visitors. For developers, the proper version of a 302.
308Permanent Redirect
🍽️ The waiter says, "Just like 301, but here, too, your order stays exactly the same."
What does that mean? A permanent redirect where the request remains exactly the same.
What can you do? Nothing for visitors. For developers, the proper version of a 301 redirect.
🙋 4xx · Visitor error
There's something wrong with the request.
400Bad Request
🍽️ The waiter says, “You’re ordering a ‘pizza with spaghetti sauce made of ice cream.’” The waiter has no idea what that means.
What does this mean? The server does not understand the request, for example, due to a broken link or corrupted cookies.
What can you do? Check the web address, clear your cookies for this site, or try again.
401Unauthorized
🍽️ The waiter says, “MayI see your membership card?” You can’t get into the VIP area without a card.
What does that mean? You must log in first to view this page.
What can you do? Log in with your username and password. If that doesn't work, use the "Forgot Password" option.
403Forbidden Popular
🍽️ The waiter says: The waiter knows exactly who you are, but the kitchen remains off-limits.
What does this mean? You do not have permission to access this page or folder, even if you are logged in.
What can you do? Visitor: You don't have access. Website owner: Check file permissions, .htaccess, or a firewall or IP block.
404Not Found Popular
🍽️ The waiter says, “Hawaiian pizza? We don’t have that on our menu.” The waiter looks, but can’t find anything.
What does this mean? The page no longer exists at this address. It might be a typo or a deleted page.
What can you do? Visitor: Check the link or search via the homepage. Website owner: Set up a 301 redirect to the new page.
405Method Not Allowed
🍽️ The waiter says, “You’re trying to heat up your food yourself in the kitchen. ‘That’s not how it works here.’”
What does that mean? The page exists, but it does not support this method of submitting a request.
What can you do? It's usually an error in a form or a broken link. Report it to the website owner.
406Not Acceptable
🍽️ The waiter says, “You only want gluten-free, but the kitchen doesn’t have any.”
What does this mean? The server cannot return a response in the format requested by the browser.
What can you do? Rarely visible. Often a setting in a security module.
408Request Timeout
🍽️ The waiter says, "You're taking so long to decide what to order that the waiter walks away."
What does that mean? The browser took too long to complete the request.
What can you do? Check your internet connection and try again.
409Conflict
🍽️ The waiter says, "Twoguests have reserved the same table at the same time."
What does that mean? The request conflicts with the current situation—for example, two people editing the same thing at the same time.
What can you do? Refresh the page and try again.
410Gone
🍽️ The waiter says, “We’ve permanently removed that dish from the menu.”
What does this mean? The page has been intentionally and permanently deleted.
What can you do? Visitor: Look for an alternative. Website owner: It's a good idea to let Google know that something is really gone.
413Content Too Large
🍽️ The waiter says, "You want to bring an elephant into the restaurant as carry-on luggage."
What does this mean? The file or form you're sending is too large—for example, an upload that's too large.
What can you do? Reduce the file size. Website owner: Increase the upload limit in the PHP settings.
414URI Too Long
🍽️ The waiter says, "Your order is a three-meter roll of paper."
What does this mean? The web address is too long for the server.
What can you do? It's usually a problem with a link or search filter. Try a shorter link.
415Unsupported Media Type
🍽️ The waiter says, "You want to pay with a cassette tape."
What does that mean? The server does not support that type of file or data.
What can you do? Use a different file type.
418I'm a teapot
🍽️ The waiter says, “Coffee? I’m a teapot!” A joke from 1998 that’s stuck around ever since.
What does it mean? An April Fools' Day code: a teapot that refuses to brew coffee. Some websites use it just for fun.
What can you do? Smile. ☕
422Unprocessable Content
🍽️ The waiter says, "Your order is written correctly, but 'pizza with -3 cheese' isn't possible."
What does this mean? The request is correct in form, but the content is invalid—for example, a form that was filled out incorrectly.
What can you do? Check the fields you've filled out.
429Too Many Requests popular
🍽️ The waiter says, “You’re calling the waiter every three seconds. ‘Please take it easy!’”
What does this mean? Too many requests were made in a short period of time. The server is throttling your access, often as a protective measure.
What can you do? Please wait a moment and try again later.
451Unavailable for Legal Reasons
🍽️ The waiter says, “We’re not allowed to serve thisdish in your country.” Named after the book *Fahrenheit 451*.
What does this mean? The page is unavailable for legal reasons, such as a court order.
What can you do? There's nothing you can do about it. It's a legal obstacle.
499Client Closed Request Not official
🍽️ The waiter says, "You're walking out of the restaurant before your food arrives."
What does it mean? No official code: the visitor closed the connection before the server was ready. You'll mostly see it in server logs.
What can you do? Usually nothing. If this happens often, the page may be too slow.
🔥 5xx · Server error
Something went wrong on the website's end.
500Internal Server Error Popular
🍽️ The waiter says, "There's a fire in the kitchen." The waiter isn't sure exactly what went wrong either.
What does this mean? Something unexpected went wrong on the server, such as an error in a plugin or theme.
What can you do? Visitor: Try again later. Website owner: Check the error logs and disable any recent plugins or changes.
501Not Implemented
🍽️ The waiter says, “Sushi? Our kitchen doesn’t have any equipment for that at all.”
What does this mean? The server does not support the requested feature.
What can you do? This is usually a technical issue for the administrator.
502Bad Gateway Popular
🍽️ The waiter says:The waiter calls the kitchen, but all he hears is static on the line.
What does this mean? An intermediate server received an invalid response from the server behind it.
What can you do? Visitor: Refresh the page after a minute. Website owner: Check to see if PHP and the web server are running properly.
503Service Unavailable Popular
🍽️ The waiter says, “We’re closed for a bit for maintenance” or “It’s too busy right now; come back later.”
What does this mean? The server is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or overload.
What can you do? Just wait a moment. Website owner: If it's taking a long time, check to see if your plan has enough capacity.
504Gateway Timeout Popular
🍽️ The waiter says: The waiter waits and waits for the kitchen, but the food just doesn't come.
What does this mean? An intermediate server waited too long for a response from the server behind it.
What can you do? Try again later. Website owner: Look for slow scripts or database queries.
505HTTP Version Not Supported
🍽️ The waiter says, "You order using the pager. We don't use those here anymore."
What does this mean? The server does not support the HTTP version being used.
What can you do? This is very rare. Update your browser.
507Insufficient Storage
🍽️ The waiter says, "The pantry is packed to the brim; there's no room for any more ingredients."
What does this mean? The server has run out of storage space to complete the request.
What can you do? Website owner: Delete old backups and files, or increase your storage space.
508Loop Detected
🍽️ The waiter says: The waiter walks back and forth between the table and the kitchen, and keeps walking back and forth.
What does this mean? The server detected an infinite loop during processing.
What can you do? This is a technical issue for the administrator.
520Web Server Returned an Unknown Error unofficial
🍽️ The waiter says, "The delivery person is at the door," but the restaurant gives an incomprehensible response.
What does it mean? It's not an official code, but according to Cloudflare: the web server returned an unexpected response.
What can you do? Website owner: Check the server logs and make sure the server isn't blocking Cloudflare.
521Web Server Is Down unofficial
🍽️ The waiter says, "The delivery person is standing in front of a closed door. The lights are off."
What does it mean? It's not an official code, but according to Cloudflare: the web server is refusing the connection or is offline.
What can you do? Website owner: Check to see if the server is running and if the firewall allows Cloudflare.
522Connection Timed Out unofficial
🍽️ The waiter says,"The delivery person knocks on the door, but no one answers, no matter how long he waits."
What does it mean? It's not an official code, but according to Cloudflare: the connection to the web server was not established in time.
What can you do? Website owner: Check the server load and make sure the DNS records point to the correct IP address.
524A Timeout Occurred not official
🍽️ The waiter says, "The kitchen has received the order, but after 100 seconds, they're still cooking."
What does that mean? It's not an official error code, but according to Cloudflare: the server responded too slowly.
What can you do? Website owner: Optimize slow processes or run long tasks in the background.
No status code found. Try a different number or word.
🎯 Guess the status code
Test your knowledge with five real-life scenarios.
Question 1:You click on an old link in an email and are taken to a page that says, “Oops, this page doesn’t exist.”
View the answer
404: The page does not exist (anymore) at this address.
Question 2: Your online store displays a blank screen immediately after you install a new plugin.
View the answer
500: A server error, often caused by a plugin. Disable that plugin.
Question 3: You've moved your website to a new domain name and want to maintain your Google rankings.
View the answer
301: A permanent redirect forwards your old URLs to the new address.
Question 4: You're refreshing a page twenty times per second using a script, and you're getting blocked.
View the answer
429: Too many requests in a short period of time. The server is throttling you.
Question 5: You want to open a secure folder, but your account doesn't have permission to do so.
View the answer
403: You are recognized, but you do not have permission. For a 401 error, you must log in first.
Which error codes do you see most often?
In practice, you'll mainly come across these codes:
- 404 Not Found: A page has been deleted or the link contains a typo. Do you have a new website or URL structure? If so, set up 301 redirects from the old addresses to the new ones.
- 500 Internal Server Error: Often caused by a plugin, theme, or a code error. Your hosting provider's error logs will usually tell you exactly where the problem lies.
- 502, 503, and 504: The server is overloaded, undergoing maintenance, or responding too slowly. If these errors occur frequently, your website may need more capacity.
- 403 Forbidden: incorrect file permissions, an .htaccess rule, or a security block.
Need help with an error message on your website?
Are you seeing an error code on your own website and can't figure out what's wrong? Our support team would be happy to help you troubleshoot, for example by reviewing your hosting error logs or your DNS settings. Be sure to read about how DNS and DNS records work, because an incorrect DNS record can also lead to error messages such as 522. Or check out our frequently asked questions.
Prefer to contact us directly? Please reach out to us or call 023 230 5815. On business days, we usually respond within two hours.
