How to Fix 4xx (Client) and 5xx (Server) HTTP Status Code Errors
By
Tim Fisher
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
HTTP status codes—the 4xx and 5xx varieties—appear when there's an error loading a web page. These are standard types of errors, so you could see them in any browser, like Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, etc.
Common 4xx and 5xx HTTP Status Codes
Common 4xx and 5xx HTTPstatus 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.
1xx, 2xx, and 3xx Codes
Codes that begin with 1, 2, and 3 aren't errors and aren't usually seen. You can learn more about those here: A Complete List of HTTP Status Lines.
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for letting us know!
Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day
Subscribe
Tell us why!
More from Lifewire
HTTP Status Codes
How to Fix a 401 Unauthorized Error
How to Fix a 400 Bad Request Error
What Does a 403 Forbidden Error Mean? How Do You Fix It?
How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error
Is Twitch Down... Or Is It Just You?
A Complete List of HTTP Status Lines
The Complete List of Blue Screen Error Codes
Is ChatGPT Down Right Now... Or Is It Just You?
How to Fix Hulu Error Code RUNUNK13
How to Fix Error Code 0x80004005
Is AOL Mail Down... Or Is It Just You?
404 Page Not Found Error: What It Is and How to Fix It
How to Fix a 408 Request Timeout Error
Error Code 0xc0000185: What It Is and How to Fix It
502 Bad Gateway Error: What It Is and How to Fix It
Newsletter Sign Up
Newsletter Sign Up
Newsletter Sign Up
Newsletter Sign Up
Newsletter Sign Up
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
We've compiled a list of all HTTP status codes covering 1xx (Informational), 2xx (Success), 3xx (Redirection), 4xx (Client Error), and 5xx (Server Error) status codes.
As always, make sure you are entering the correct page URL. If that doesn't work, try clearing your browser cache and cookies. When that doesn't work, this means it could be a problem for a webmaster to handle, your ISP is experiencing issues, or your IP address has been blocked by this particular website.
The HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 406 Not Acceptable client error response code indicates that the server cannot produce a response matching the list of acceptable values defined in the request's proactive content negotiation headers, and that the server is unwilling to supply a default representation.
Refreshing the page, clearing browser cache, or trying again later can sometimes resolve the issue from the user's end. However, if the error persists, it typically requires intervention from the website's technical team to diagnose and fix the underlying problem.
A 400 bad request error occurs when a browser sends a request to a web server that the server cannot understand or process correctly. This is an HTTP response status code in the 4XX range. HTTP status codes starting with 4XX typically indicate an error on the client side—meaning the issue is on your end.
A 409 status code is used to indicate a conflict with the current state of a resource, such as when trying to create or update a resource that already exists or has conflicting information.
Sometimes when you try to visit a web page, you're met with an HTTP error message. It's a message from the web server that something went wrong. In some cases, it could be a mistake you made, but often, it's the site's fault. Each type of error has an HTTP error code dedicated to it.
Hobby: Reading, Ice skating, Foraging, BASE jumping, Hiking, Skateboarding, Kayaking
Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tim-fisher-5820c8345f9b581c0b5a63cf.jpg "HTTP Error Codes List (and How to Fix Them) (1)")
