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HTTP Status Codes

Cluster focuses on debates about the proper use of HTTP status codes for error handling in web APIs and servers, criticizing misuse like 200 for errors or incorrect 4xx/5xx distinctions, and suggesting alternatives like 400, 410, 418, or 451.

📉 Falling 0.2x Web Development
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#8449
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Top Contributors

dragonwriter (33) treis (19) grandalf (19) jerf (14) chrismorgan (11)

Keywords

TL US OK mozilla.org UX SHOULD DR PLEASE E.g POST error 404 http codes status code body errors request response

Sample Comments

ravenstine • Dec 8, 2024 • View on HN

Not sure why they can't return a more appropriate HTTP code.

Marazan • Jul 18, 2022 • View on HN

There's.... There is a whole.set of status codes for exactly those things!

oneeyedpigeon • Oct 19, 2013 • View on HN

Doesn't the correct use of HTTP status codes cover 99% of these cases?

afandian • Apr 16, 2024 • View on HN

You're saying some of the 404s should be 400s.

techdragon • Jun 7, 2022 • View on HN

I’d prefer HTTP 442 “Oh no, not again.”

mariojv • Apr 1, 2023 • View on HN

I wonder if they considered using the 451 status code.

0xffff2 • Nov 3, 2023 • View on HN

Isn't that what 40x errors are for? E.g. I think there's 408 Bad Request for your POST example.

mesozoic • Jul 13, 2022 • View on HN

Have they never heard of codes other than 2xx and 4xx?

unethical_ban • Dec 21, 2015 • View on HN

4xx errors are supposed to be client-side errors. 5xx is server-side. The purpose of the code doesn't match the spec.

stock_toaster • Sep 2, 2013 • View on HN

Wouldn't "return 410" (potentially) be better?