HTTP status code

An HTTP status code is a three-digit value that summarizes the result of an HTTP request.

Format
Web & Development
Updated
Updated
Glossary Web & Development
HTTP status code Aliases: HTTP response code, 404, 500.

Definition

An HTTP status code is a three-digit value that summarizes the result of an HTTP request.

How it works

The first digit tells you the genre of the story: 2xx means success, 3xx redirects you elsewhere, 4xx means the client asked for something wrong or missing, and 5xx means the server itself failed. The famous ones — 404 for not found, 500 for a server error — are simply the best-known members of those families.

Example: 200 means the request succeeded, 404 means the target was not found, and 500 signals a server-side error.

Often confused: A status code summarizes the HTTP result; it rarely tells you the root cause on its own.

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Last reviewed 2026-07-19.