What the common HTTP status codes tell you

What a status code is

Each time someone opens a page, the browser asks the server for it. The server answers with a number before it sends anything else. That number says whether the request worked and what to do next.

Visitors rarely see the number. They see the page, or an error screen. Search engines read the number first, and it decides what they do with the address.

The first digit gives the family. Twos mean success, threes mean redirection, fours mean a problem with the request, and fives mean the server broke.

200, the page is fine

The code 200 means the request worked and the page came back. It is what every healthy page should return.

One trap is worth knowing. A page can say not found on screen while the server still replies 200. Search engines call that a soft not-found, and it confuses them. The reply code must match what the visitor sees.

Most hosting and builder dashboards handle this for you, but it is worth testing once. Type a made-up address on your own domain and see what comes back. A friendly page with a real not-found code is the goal.

301 and 302, the page moved

A 301 says the page has moved permanently. Browsers and search engines follow it, and the old address passes its standing to the new one. A 302 says the move is temporary and the old address will return.

Use the permanent kind when you mean it. Our page on 301 and 302 redirects covers chains, loops and redesign mistakes in detail.

Each hop adds a little delay, so point old addresses straight at the final page.

404 and Gone, the page is not there

A 404 means the server could not find the page. It is normal for a mistyped address and harmless in small numbers. A page that is gone for good can also return the Gone code, which says it was removed on purpose.

Both tell a search engine to drop the address in time. The difference is a matter of emphasis, and a plain 404 is fine for most small sites. What matters is that the reply is honest.

Make the page useful, with a way home and a way to search. Our guide to 404 pages explains how, and every Website Builder Studio site includes a branded not-found page served with a real not-found status.

The five-hundreds, the server failed

A reply in the five-hundreds means the server could not complete a valid request. A generic server error means something broke. A temporarily unavailable reply means the server is overloaded or down for maintenance.

Short outages are normal and search engines retry. Long or repeated ones can cause pages to drop from results.

For planned maintenance, the temporary-unavailable reply is the right one, because it tells crawlers to come back.

How to check a page

You can see a page's status in your browser's developer tools. Open the network tab, load the page, and look at the first line. It shows the code and any redirect before it.

Search Console reports the problems it finds across your whole site, including not-found pages and server errors. The checklist below is a quick audit to run after any change.

Check after any change to your site, such as a redesign, a new plugin or a move to a new host. Those are the moments when codes quietly change.

• Your main pages return 200.
• Old addresses return one permanent redirect to the right page.
• A mistyped address returns a real not-found reply, not 200.
• The secure and non-secure versions agree on one address.
• No important page returns an error in the five-hundreds.

Other codes you may meet

A few more appear now and then. A forbidden reply means the server refuses access, and an unauthorized reply means a login is needed. A too-many-requests reply means the server is asking a visitor to slow down.

You do not need to memorize them. Search the code name when one shows up, and look at what changed just before it appeared.