HTTP status codes—the 4xx and 5xx varieties—appear when there is some kind of error loading a web page. HTTP status codes are standard types of errors, so you could see them in any browser, like Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, etc.
Common 4xx and 5xx HTTP status codes are listed below with helpful tips to help you get past them and on to the web page you were looking for.
Common HTTP Status Codes |
Status Code
Reason Phrase
More Information
400
Bad Request
The request you sent to the website server (for example, a request to load a web page) was somehow malformed. Since the server couldn't understand the request, it couldn't process it and instead gave you the 400 error.
401
Unauthorized
The page you were trying to access can not be loaded until you first log on with a valid username and password. If you've just logged on and received the 401 error, it means that the credentials you entered were invalid. Invalid credentials could mean that you don't have an account with the website, your username was entered incorrectly, or your password was incorrect.
403
Forbidden
Accessing the page or resource you were trying to reach is absolutely forbidden. In other words, a 403 error means that you don't have access to whatever you're trying to view.
404
Not Found
The page you were trying to reach could not be found on the website's server. This is the most popular HTTP status code that you will probably see. The 404 error will often appear as The page cannot be found.
408
Request Timeout
The request you sent to the website server (like a request to load a web page) timed out. In other words, a 408 error means that connecting to the website took longer than the website's server was prepared to wait.
500
Internal Server Error
500 Internal Server Error is a very general HTTP status code meaning something went wrong on the website's server, but the server could not be more specific on what the exact problem was. The 500 Internal Server Error message is the most common "server-side" error you'll see.
502
Bad Gateway
One server received an invalid response from another server that it was accessing while attempting to load the web page or fill another request by the browser. In other words, the 502 error is an issue between two different servers on the internet that aren't communicating properly.
503
Service Unavailable
The website's server is simply not available at the moment. 503 errors are usually due to a temporary overloading or maintenance of the server.
504
Gateway Timeout
One server did not receive a timely response from another server that it was accessing while attempting to load the web page or fill another request by the browser. This often means the other server is down or not working properly.
Codes that begin with 1, 2, and 3 aren't errors and aren't usually seen. If you're interested, see this complete list of HTTP status codes.
