Server Response Codes

Every time a page is requested your server reports how the process of finding and sending the file to the user went. By analysing the server response codes that your server is spitting out, you can diagnose various problems with your site, as well as learning much about the surfing habits of your readers.

Headers

Whenever a user sends a request to a server, a process called a ‘handshake’ begins where the server and your computer communicate and the server makes sure it can accommodate what your user has requested of it. This means being able to make the connection between the two computers and then completing the transfer of data.

Headers are short fragments of text which are generated by servers to hold information pertaining to each transfer as it occurs. There are four kinds of headers:

General

This holds information about the client (user), the server itself and the protocol being used (like http or ftp).

Entity

This holds information about the data that is being transferred.

Request

This holds information about the allowable formats and parameters for the transfer.

Response

This is sent out by the server at the end of a transfer, and includes detailed information, in code form, on the outcome of the transfer.

The Response Codes

As a web surfer you've probably become familiar with the dreaded 404 error message (and possibly made your own), which signifies a ‘page not found’ error. That's the most well-known server response code, but there are many more. These numerical codes are grouped — the low numbers are generally ‘good’, and operate silently, while anything over 400 is definitely bad news and will be reported to the user in the form of an error message.

Code	Explanation
100-199	Silent Response Codes that signify that a request has been received and is currently being processed.
100	The request has been completed and the rest of the process can continue.
101	The user's request to switch protocols (like from FTP to HTTP) was accepted.
200-299	Silent codes that confirm that requests have completed successfully.
200	Ok — the file which the client requested is available for transfer. This is the response code you want to see all of your users receiving.
201	When new pages are created by posted form data or by a CGI process, this is confirmation that it worked.
202	The client's request was accepted, though not yet processed.
203	The information contained in the entity header is not from the original site, but from a third party server.
204	If you click a link which has no target URL, this response is elicited by the server. It's silent and doesn't warn the user about anything.
205	This allows the server to reset any content returned by a CGI.
206	Partial content — the requested file wasn't downloaded entirely. This is returned when the user presses the stop button before a page is loaded, for example.
300-399	A redirection is occurring from the original request.
300	The requested address refers to more than one file. Depending on how the server is configured, you get an error or a choice of which page you want.
301	Moved Permanently — if the server is set up properly it will automatically redirect the reader to the new location of the file.
302	Found — page has been moved temporarily, and the new URL is available. You should be sent there by the server.
303	This is a "see other" SRC. Data is somewhere else and the GET method is used to retrieve it.
304	Not Modified — if the request header includes an 'if modified since' parameter, this code will be returned if the file has not changed since that date. Search engine robots may generate a lot of these.
400-499	Request is incomplete for some reason.
400	Bad Request — there is a syntax error in the request, and it is denied.
401	The request header did not contain the necessary authentication codes, and the client is denied access.
402	Payment is required. This code is not yet in operation.
403	Forbidden — the client is not allowed to see a certain file. This is also returned at times when the server doesn't want any more visitors.
404	Document not found — the requested file was not found on the server. Possibly because it was deleted, or never existed before. Often caused by misspellings of URLs.
405	The method you are using to access the file is not allowed.
406	The requested file exists but cannot be used as the client system doesn't understand the format the file is configured for.
407	The request must be authorised before it can take place.
408	Request Timeout — the server took longer than its allowed time to process the request. Often caused by heavy net traffic.
409	Too many concurrent requests for a single file.
410	The file used to be in this position, but is there no longer.
411	The request is missing its Content-Length header.
412	A certain configuration is required for this file to be delivered, but the client has not set this up.
413	The requested file was too big to process.
414	The address you entered was overly long for the server.
415	The filetype of the request is unsupported.
500-599	Errors have occurred in the server itself.
500	Internal Server Error — nasty response that is usually caused by a problem in your Perl code when a CGI program is run.
501	The request cannot be carried out by the server.
502	Bad Gateway — the server you're trying to reach is sending back errors.
503	Temporarily Unavailable — the service or file that is being requested is not currently available.
504	The gateway has timed out. Like the 408 timeout error, but this one occurs at the gateway of the server.
505	The HTTP protocol you are asking for is not supported.