--- title: "HTTP Status Code Lookup" description: "Look up any HTTP status code to understand what it means, when it's used, and how to fix common errors. Search by code number or description. Covers all 1xx to 5xx status codes with practical examples and solutions." url: https://findutils.com/network/http-status-code-lookup/ category: network --- # HTTP Status Code Lookup Look up any HTTP status code to understand what it means, when it's used, and how to fix common errors. Search by code number or description. Covers all 1xx to 5xx status codes with practical examples and solutions. **Use this tool:** [HTTP Status Code Lookup](https://findutils.com/network/http-status-code-lookup/) ## Programmatic access - REST id `http-status-code-lookup`: POST https://api.findutils.com/api/tools/http-status-code-lookup/execute (reference: https://findutils.com/api/http-status-code-lookup/) - MCP tool `http_status_code_lookup` on https://mcp.findutils.com (reference: https://findutils.com/mcp/http-status-code-lookup/) ## Why Use HTTP Status Code Lookup? HTTP status codes are the backbone of web communication, but remembering what each code means — especially the less common ones like 422, 429, or 503 — can be a challenge even for experienced developers. Our HTTP Status Code Lookup provides instant access to every standard HTTP status code with clear explanations, real-world use cases, and actionable solutions for error codes. Whether you're debugging an API response or configuring server behavior, this is your quick reference. Each status code entry includes the code number, its official name, a plain-English description of what it means, typical scenarios where it appears, and for error codes (4xx and 5xx), practical steps to diagnose and resolve the issue. Filter by category — informational (1xx), success (2xx), redirection (3xx), client error (4xx), or server error (5xx) — to browse related codes, or search for any keyword to find the code you need. ## Tips for Working with HTTP Status Codes - Always return the most specific status code available. Use 404 for missing resources, 409 for conflicts, and 422 for validation errors instead of a generic 400 for everything. - Use 204 No Content for successful DELETE operations or auto-save requests where the client does not need a response body. - Implement 429 Too Many Requests with a Retry-After header in your APIs to protect against abuse while giving clients clear guidance on when to retry. - Prefer 301 (permanent) redirects for SEO when URLs change permanently. Use 302 (temporary) only when the original URL will return in the future. - Log and monitor 5xx errors separately from 4xx errors. Server errors indicate bugs or infrastructure issues, while client errors are usually expected behavior like invalid input. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are the main categories of HTTP status codes? HTTP status codes are grouped into five categories: 1xx (Informational) for ongoing requests, 2xx (Success) for successful operations, 3xx (Redirection) for URL changes, 4xx (Client Error) for request problems, and 5xx (Server Error) for server-side failures. ### What is the difference between 401 and 403? A 401 (Unauthorized) means the request lacks valid authentication credentials — the user needs to log in. A 403 (Forbidden) means the server understood the request and the user may be authenticated, but they don't have permission to access the resource. ### What does a 502 Bad Gateway mean? A 502 error means a server acting as a gateway or proxy received an invalid response from an upstream server. This commonly happens when a backend service (like a Node.js or PHP application) crashes or becomes unresponsive while a reverse proxy (like Nginx) is trying to forward requests to it. ### Are all HTTP status codes listed here? Yes. We include all standard HTTP status codes defined in RFC 7231 and related RFCs, plus commonly used non-standard codes like 418 (I'm a Teapot) and 429 (Too Many Requests). Each entry reflects the latest IANA HTTP Status Code Registry. ### Can I use this tool when debugging API responses? Absolutely. When you receive an unexpected status code from an API, search for it here to understand what the server is telling you and what steps to take. The 'How to Fix' section for error codes provides practical debugging guidance. ### What is the difference between 301 and 302 redirects? A 301 (Moved Permanently) tells browsers and search engines that the resource has permanently moved to a new URL. A 302 (Found) indicates a temporary redirect, meaning the original URL is still valid and the redirect may change in the future. For SEO, 301 redirects pass link equity to the new URL while 302 redirects do not. ### What causes a 429 Too Many Requests error? A 429 status code means the client has sent too many requests in a given time window and has been rate-limited by the server. APIs use this to protect against abuse and overload. The response typically includes a Retry-After header indicating how long to wait before sending another request. ### What does a 204 No Content response mean? A 204 status code means the server successfully processed the request but is not returning any content in the response body. This is commonly used for DELETE requests, auto-save operations, or any action where the client does not need updated data back from the server. ### Does this HTTP status code lookup tool require a signup? No. FindUtils HTTP Status Code Lookup works with no signup, no rate limits. All data is loaded in your browser — nothing is sent to any server. ### How do I fix a 500 Internal Server Error? A 500 error is a generic server-side failure. Start by checking your server error logs for the specific exception or stack trace. Common causes include syntax errors in server-side code, misconfigured.htaccess or nginx config files, database connection failures, and exhausted memory or disk space. The error is never caused by the client. ## Related Tools - [cURL to Code](https://findutils.com/developers/curl-to-code/) - [API Docs Generator](https://findutils.com/developers/api-docs-generator/) - [OpenAPI Validator](https://findutils.com/developers/openapi-validator/) - [MIME Type Finder](https://findutils.com/network/mime-type-finder/) - [HTML Entity Finder](https://findutils.com/developers/html-entity-finder/) - [Security Headers Analyzer](https://findutils.com/network/security-headers-analyzer/) - [SSL Certificate Checker](https://findutils.com/network/ssl-certificate-checker/) - [DNS Lookup](https://findutils.com/network/dns-lookup/)