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HTTP Status Code Reference

Searchable reference for every HTTP status code — 1xx to 5xx — with descriptions and use cases.

Overview

A searchable reference to 44 HTTP status codes from 1xx to 5xx, each with its number, standard name, a one-line description of when it occurs, and its class label. Search matches the code, the name, or the description, and each row is color-coded by class: gray informational, green success, blue redirect, amber client error, red server error. One click copies the code number.

How It Works

Type into the search box to filter live: a three-digit code, part of a reason phrase like Too Many, or a phrase from the description such as rate limiting all work. Each result shows the code in its class-colored badge, the official name, the description, and a class label such as 4xx Client Error. The copy button on each row places the numeric code on your clipboard. An empty search shows all 44 entries.

Step-by-Step Usage Guide

  1. Type a code, name fragment, or description phrase into the search box.
  2. Read the color-coded class badge to see whether the code is informational, success, redirect, client, or server error.
  3. Copy the numeric code with the row's copy button for use in configs or tests.
  4. Clear the search to browse all 44 codes from 1xx to 5xx.

Technical Specifications & Standards

The list is a curated subset of the IANA registry rather than the complete set, chosen to cover the codes you actually meet in APIs and web servers, and the descriptions follow the semantics defined in RFC 9110 and its companions. A few distinctions in the set decide real behavior and are worth internalizing. 301 and 308 both mean moved permanently, but only 308 guarantees the request method and body are preserved on retry; 301 historically allows clients to switch a POST to a GET, which is why 308 exists for APIs. The same pairing holds for 302 versus 307 on the temporary side. 410 Gone tells clients to stop asking, which search engines treat as a stronger deletion signal than 404. 451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons exists for censorship and court orders, and 418 I'm a teapot originates in the April Fools RFC 2324 but is returned in earnest by many APIs to reject requests. Newer members present include 103 Early Hints for preloading and 425 Too Early for replay-sensitive requests, both additions from the late 2010s. Codes absent from the list, such as WebDAV's 207 or 102, will not match a search, so treat a failed search as out of scope rather than nonexistent.

Targeted Use Cases

  • Deciding which status code a new API endpoint should return for each outcome.
  • Explaining to a teammate why 301 and 308 are not interchangeable for POST requests.
  • Checking the exact name and meaning of a code seen in server logs.
  • Building integration test assertions against the correct code names.

Notes & Gotchas

  • Return 308 instead of 301 when redirecting requests whose method and body must survive the redirect.
  • Use 410 for permanently removed resources so clients and crawlers stop retrying, and reserve 404 for unknown or hidden resources.
  • Prefer 422 over 400 for well-formed requests that fail validation, so clients can distinguish syntax from semantics.
  • Remember the list is curated; if a code is not found here, check the IANA registry before assuming it does not exist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for a moved API endpoint, 301 or 308?

308 if the request method must be preserved, because 308 guarantees a POST stays a POST. 301 permits clients to change the method to GET on retry, which is often harmless for pages but breaks API writes.

Why is 418 I'm a teapot in the list?

It originates in the joke RFC 2324 (Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol), but many real APIs return it deliberately, so it is documented here like any other code, noting its origin.

How does 410 Gone differ from 404 Not Found?

410 states the resource existed and is permanently gone, inviting clients and crawlers to forget it; 404 only says nothing is there now. Search engines de-index 410 URLs faster than 404s.

Are all HTTP status codes included?

No. The list contains 44 commonly encountered codes from 1xx through 5xx. The full IANA registry is larger and includes WebDAV and extension codes that are out of scope here.