There are more than a billion web pages on the Internet. To access a website, you need an Internet address. The network server hosts the webpage. Data or the requested resources are transported via HTTP or HTTP status codes.
The web server uses an HTTP status code to notify the browser of the request. This code notifies the server of any issues or failures and whether the request was successful.
What Are HTTP Status Codes?
Three-digit numerical codes known as HTTP status codes are provided by servers in response to requests from browsers.
After receiving a request from your browser, the website’s server responds with a three-digit HTTP status code. These status codes are sent each time your browser tries to access a webpage or other online resource.
They are typically invisible, though. You won’t see the code in your browser until anything goes wrong. The server uses the code to let you know what’s wrong.
Types of HTTP Status Codes
There are five different classes of HTTP status codes. Knowing these categories can help you determine the meaning of a code.
The five classes or types of status codes are as follows:
- 100s: These informational codes indicate that the browser request is continuing.
- 200s: These success codes suggest the browser request was received and processed.
- 300s: These redirection codes are sent when a new site has replaced the requested site, and you are redirected.
- 400s: These error codes mean the website could not be accessed, or the page was not found. This is frequently displayed when there is a website problem or the page doesn’t exist on it.
- 500s: These error codes indicate that the request was accepted, but the server could not complete the request due to an error. This means the request was valid but had a server error.
Multiple codes exist within each category, and each code has its meaning. Here are some important kinds of HTTP requests explained.
Important HTTP Codes
Because they aid in mistake detection and resolution, HTTP status codes are crucial for SEO experts and website developers. The significant HTTP status codes are listed below:
- 200: The request was successfully carried out. This code is not usually visible.
- 301: The resource requested has been moved permanently and can no longer be found at the given address. The browser can ask for the new address included in the report, and the user is redirected to it. This code is usually not noticed since the link in the address bar changes.
- 302: The resource has been temporarily moved, but the old address is still valid. The requester can be redirected.
- 403: The requested data cannot be accessed because the client lacks authority.
- 404: The website was not found. This indicates that the address has been moved to a new address or is no longer valid. The user needs to confirm that the address they supplied is correct.
- 500: Unexpected server errors are represented by the code. This code will be provided if the server malfunctions and prevents access to the data. It often offers an online error report that you can read to find out what went wrong.
- 503: The server is not available at the moment because the server is overloaded.
How to Check HTTP Status Code
The status code is important for website administrators, developers, and SEO specialists. In Google Chrome, the process to check what are HTTP response codes is as follows:
- Right-click on a webpage and select the option “Inspect.”
- Choose the Network tab and reload the page. This will show a list of the various requests made by the page. The first item will show the status quo.
You can also do this using online tools and API services. Some websites enable you to find the status code when entering a URL. This is helpful for the layman who is not a professional developer. It is particularly useful for conducting an SEO audit.
How to Deal with HTTP Status Codes
Administrators should reduce automatically generated HTML error pages to guarantee the best possible user experience on their websites.
For example, a 404 (page not found) message can deter visitors and lead them to another website. This is especially detrimental to websites that sell goods online or provide news, as users will quit and visit a rival’s website instead.
The website owner should look for 404 errors and ensure that users are moved to relevant areas of the website to keep them on it.
Why HTTP Status Codes Are Important for SEO?
Search engines spot HTTP status codes when scanning your website. These messages can affect how the page is indexed and how search engines gauge the website’s health.
However, certain status codes, such as 100- and 200-level HTTP status codes, will not affect SEO. These codes signal that the site is working. The 400 and 500-level codes impact SEO more since they can prevent search engine bots from crawling and indexing the pages. They also adversely affect the site quality, reducing the ranking.
Users are sent to alternative content using a 404 code, which stops search engines from indexing the information. A 301 code is shown for SEO purposes because it maintains link strength. In this manner, old pages’ link strength is preserved and sent to the 301 destination, where the user is redirected.
However, temporarily redirecting a page that has moved through a 302 code can result in losing the SEO advantage of link building.
Wrapping Up
HTTP status codes may seem complicated, but they are very informative. Understanding what are HTTP status codes can help you troubleshoot problems on your website. Not only can this help keep the website accessible, but it also ensures that it doesn’t lose its effectiveness for SEO purposes.
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