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HTTP status codes tell you what happened to a request — but the three-digit number alone isn't always self-explanatory. This lookup tool covers the status codes developers encounter most often, from successful 2xx responses to client and server errors.
Select a code to see its standard name, its category (success, redirection, client error, or server error), and a plain-language explanation of what it means.
How it works
Choose an HTTP status code from the list. The tool looks up its standard name, category, and description from a reference table of common codes.
- Enter hTTP status code.
- Click Calculate to see your results.
Examples
Looking up a 404
Status code 404 is "Not Found," a 4xx Client Error meaning the server can't find the requested resource.
Who should use it
- Quickly checking what a status code means while debugging an API integration.
- Learning the standard HTTP status code categories.
Industry applications
- Software development and API design
- QA and technical support
Advantages
- Covers the status codes developers encounter most often in day-to-day API work.
- Plain-language descriptions alongside the standard technical name.
Limitations
- Covers common codes only, not the full IANA HTTP status code registry.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing 401 (authentication issue) with 403 (authorization issue) when debugging an API.
- Assuming every 4xx or 5xx code means the same thing, when each has a distinct meaning developers rely on for debugging.
Best practices
- Return the most specific status code that matches the situation (e.g. 422 for validation errors) rather than defaulting everything to 400 or 500.
Tips
- When designing your own API, prefer specific codes (401 vs 403, 404 vs 410) over generic ones — it makes client-side error handling far easier to build correctly.