HTTP Status Code Flashcards: Meanings, Classes & Use Cases

Learn registered HTTP response status codes by number, reason phrase, class, and practical use case, with current IANA and RFC references.

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Learn the current IANA-registered HTTP response status codes as a practical recall system, not a loose cheat sheet.

What this deck practices

  • Code → meaning: all 61 response codes assigned in the IANA registry snapshot used on 25 August 2026, starting with the registered reason phrase and a concise RFC-based explanation.
  • Meaning → code: 27 selective reverse cards for common, atomic retrieval targets. These are not mechanical reversals of every entry.
  • Class purpose: exactly five cards for 1xx Informational, 2xx Successful, 3xx Redirection, 4xx Client Error, and 5xx Server Error.
  • Confusion sets: 401 vs 403; 301/302/307/308; 409 vs 422; 404 vs 410; 202 vs 204; and 502 vs 504.

The order introduces the five classes and common responses first, broadens through the registered set, and finishes with comparison and reference material. Forward and reverse variants are separated so one card does not immediately reveal another.

Special registry status

Temporary 104 Upload Resumption Supported is clearly marked with IANA’s recorded expiry of 13 November 2026. HTTP 402 is taught as registered but reserved by RFC 9110 for future use. Unused 306 and 418, plus obsoleted 510, live in a separate reference section rather than the ordinary recall sequence. Unassigned codes and ranges are excluded because they have no registered reason phrase or stable meaning to recall. Deprecated 305 is labeled accurately.

Explanations follow the IANA HTTP Status Code Registry and its linked RFC references. Reason phrases are labels, not complete normative semantics. Examples and comparisons are original paraphrases and do not prescribe one universal REST API design.

This is an independent, unofficial educational deck by Flashcards Open Source App. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by IANA, the IETF, or the RFC Editor. No competitor deck, RFC prose, copyrighted table, or exam question was copied. The CC0 label applies to the original prompts, explanations, organization, metadata, and generated cover to the extent applicable rights exist; it does not claim ownership of facts or standards text.

Amakhadi akuleli qoqo

  1. Ikhadi 1

    Umbuzo

    What is the purpose of the 1xx HTTP status-code class?

    Impendulo

    Informational. A 1xx response is interim: it communicates connection status or request progress before the final response.

  2. Ikhadi 2

    Umbuzo

    What is the purpose of the 2xx HTTP status-code class?

    Impendulo

    Successful. A 2xx response means the request was successfully received, understood, and accepted.

  3. Ikhadi 3

    Umbuzo

    What is the purpose of the 3xx HTTP status-code class?

    Impendulo

    Redirection. A 3xx response means the user agent needs to take further action to fulfill the request, such as following another URI or using a cached representation.

  4. Ikhadi 4

    Umbuzo

    What is the purpose of the 4xx HTTP status-code class?

    Impendulo

    Client Error. A 4xx response means the client appears to have made an error; it does not prove that every fault lies in client code.

  5. Ikhadi 5

    Umbuzo

    What is the purpose of the 5xx HTTP status-code class?

    Impendulo

    Server Error. A 5xx response means the server knows it has erred or cannot perform the requested method.

  6. Ikhadi 6

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 200 mean?

    Impendulo

    OK. The request succeeded; the meaning of any response content depends on the request method.

  7. Ikhadi 7

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 404 mean?

    Impendulo

    Not Found. The origin server has no current representation for the target resource, or it is unwilling to disclose that one exists. The code does not say whether the condition is temporary or permanent.

  8. Ikhadi 8

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 301 mean?

    Impendulo

    Moved Permanently. The target resource has a new permanent URI. For historical reasons, a user agent may change POST to GET when following it; use 308 when method preservation matters.

  9. Ikhadi 9

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 500 mean?

    Impendulo

    Internal Server Error. The server hit an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.

  10. Ikhadi 10

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 201 mean?

    Impendulo

    Created. The request was fulfilled and created one or more resources. The primary resource is identified by Location, or by the target URI when Location is absent.

  11. Ikhadi 11

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 401 mean?

    Impendulo

    Unauthorized. The request was not applied because it lacks valid authentication credentials for the target resource. The response includes a WWW-Authenticate challenge.

  12. Ikhadi 12

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 503 mean?

    Impendulo

    Service Unavailable. The server is temporarily unable to handle the request, often because of overload or maintenance. It may send Retry-After.

  13. Ikhadi 13

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 204 mean?

    Impendulo

    No Content. The server successfully fulfilled the request and has no additional response content to send.

  14. Ikhadi 14

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 403 mean?

    Impendulo

    Forbidden. The server understood the request but refuses to fulfill it. Credentials may be insufficient, or the refusal may be unrelated to authentication.

  15. Ikhadi 15

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 302 mean?

    Impendulo

    Found. The target resource is temporarily available at another URI, so future requests should still use the original URI. A user agent may change POST to GET when following it.

  16. Ikhadi 16

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 400 mean?

    Impendulo

    Bad Request. The server cannot or will not process the request because of a perceived client error, such as malformed syntax, invalid framing, or deceptive routing.

  17. Ikhadi 17

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 502 mean?

    Impendulo

    Bad Gateway. A server acting as a gateway or proxy received an invalid response from an inbound server while trying to fulfill the request.

  18. Ikhadi 18

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code has the registered reason phrase “OK”?

    Impendulo

    200 OK. It indicates that the request succeeded.

  19. Ikhadi 19

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 202 mean?

    Impendulo

    Accepted. The request was accepted for processing, but processing is incomplete and might not ultimately happen.

  20. Ikhadi 20

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code has the registered reason phrase “Not Found”?

    Impendulo

    404 Not Found. It means there is no current representation for the target resource, or the server will not disclose one.

  21. Ikhadi 21

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 304 mean?

    Impendulo

    Not Modified. A conditional GET or HEAD would otherwise have returned 200, but the condition was false, so the client can use its stored representation. A 304 response has no content.

  22. Ikhadi 22

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code has the registered reason phrase “Created”?

    Impendulo

    201 Created. It means the fulfilled request created one or more resources.

  23. Ikhadi 23

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means the request lacks valid authentication credentials?

    Impendulo

    401 Unauthorized. The response challenges the client to authenticate for the target resource.

  24. Ikhadi 24

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code has the registered reason phrase “Internal Server Error”?

    Impendulo

    500 Internal Server Error. It covers an unexpected server condition that prevented fulfillment.

  25. Ikhadi 25

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means success with no additional response content?

    Impendulo

    204 No Content. The action succeeded, and there is no response content to send.

  26. Ikhadi 26

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means the server understood the request but refuses to fulfill it?

    Impendulo

    403 Forbidden. Repeating the same request with the same credentials should not be automatic.

  27. Ikhadi 27

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code has the registered reason phrase “Moved Permanently”?

    Impendulo

    301 Moved Permanently. Future references should use the new permanent URI.

  28. Ikhadi 28

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means the server is temporarily unable to handle the request?

    Impendulo

    503 Service Unavailable. Temporary overload or maintenance are typical reasons.

  29. Ikhadi 29

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code has the registered reason phrase “Bad Request”?

    Impendulo

    400 Bad Request. The server perceives a client-side problem that prevents or discourages processing.

  30. Ikhadi 30

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means a gateway or proxy received an invalid inbound response?

    Impendulo

    502 Bad Gateway. The upstream response arrived, but it was invalid.

  31. Ikhadi 31

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code has the registered reason phrase “Accepted”?

    Impendulo

    202 Accepted. Processing has been accepted but is not complete.

  32. Ikhadi 32

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code tells a conditional GET or HEAD to use a stored representation?

    Impendulo

    304 Not Modified. The request condition evaluated false, so the stored representation remains valid for this response.

  33. Ikhadi 33

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 100 mean?

    Impendulo

    Continue. The server received the initial part of the request and has not rejected it. With Expect: 100-continue, the client should continue sending the request content.

  34. Ikhadi 34

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 206 mean?

    Impendulo

    Partial Content. The server is successfully fulfilling a range request by transferring one or more parts of the selected representation.

  35. Ikhadi 35

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 307 mean?

    Impendulo

    Temporary Redirect. The resource is temporarily at another URI, and an automatic redirect must preserve the request method.

  36. Ikhadi 36

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 409 mean?

    Impendulo

    Conflict. The request cannot be completed because it conflicts with the target resource’s current state. The client may be able to resolve the conflict and resubmit.

  37. Ikhadi 37

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 504 mean?

    Impendulo

    Gateway Timeout. A gateway or proxy did not receive a timely response from an upstream server needed to complete the request.

  38. Ikhadi 38

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 101 mean?

    Impendulo

    Switching Protocols. The server accepts the client’s Upgrade request and names the protocol that will be used after this response.

  39. Ikhadi 39

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means a range request succeeded with only part of the representation?

    Impendulo

    206 Partial Content. The response carries one or more requested ranges.

  40. Ikhadi 40

    Umbuzo

    Which temporary redirect status code requires method preservation?

    Impendulo

    307 Temporary Redirect. An automatic redirect must not change the request method.

  41. Ikhadi 41

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means a request conflicts with the target resource’s current state?

    Impendulo

    409 Conflict. The client may be able to resolve the state conflict and try again.

  42. Ikhadi 42

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means a gateway timed out waiting for an upstream server?

    Impendulo

    504 Gateway Timeout. The upstream response did not arrive in time.

  43. Ikhadi 43

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 102 mean?

    Impendulo

    Processing. This registered interim response says the server accepted the complete request but has not finished processing it; a final response still follows.

  44. Ikhadi 44

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 203 mean?

    Impendulo

    Non-Authoritative Information. The request succeeded, but a transforming proxy modified the enclosed content from the origin server’s 200 response.

  45. Ikhadi 45

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 308 mean?

    Impendulo

    Permanent Redirect. The resource has a new permanent URI, and an automatic redirect must preserve the request method.

  46. Ikhadi 46

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 410 mean?

    Impendulo

    Gone. Access to the target resource is no longer available at the origin server, and the condition is likely permanent.

  47. Ikhadi 47

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 501 mean?

    Impendulo

    Not Implemented. The server does not support functionality required to fulfill the request, such as an unrecognized method it cannot support for any resource.

  48. Ikhadi 48

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 103 mean?

    Impendulo

    Early Hints. This interim response carries header fields the server is likely to include in the final response, letting the client make safe performance optimizations while it waits.

  49. Ikhadi 49

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 205 mean?

    Impendulo

    Reset Content. The request succeeded, and the server wants the user agent to reset the document view that caused the request. The response has no content.

  50. Ikhadi 50

    Umbuzo

    Which permanent redirect status code requires method preservation?

    Impendulo

    308 Permanent Redirect. Future requests should use the new URI without changing the method during automatic redirection.

  51. Ikhadi 51

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code says a resource is no longer available and is likely gone permanently?

    Impendulo

    410 Gone. Use 404 when the server does not know whether the absence is permanent.

    Abstract glowing network paths connecting two endpoint forms around a central response pulse on a dark background.

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    HTTP Status Code Flashcards: Meanings, Classes & Use Cases

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  52. Ikhadi 52

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means the required server functionality is unsupported?

    Impendulo

    501 Not Implemented. It applies when the server cannot support the functionality needed to fulfill the request.

  53. Ikhadi 53

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 207 mean?

    Impendulo

    Multi-Status. The response reports status for multiple independent operations, as defined for WebDAV.

  54. Ikhadi 54

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 300 mean?

    Impendulo

    Multiple Choices. The target has more than one representation, and the response provides alternatives so the user or user agent can choose.

  55. Ikhadi 55

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 405 mean?

    Impendulo

    Method Not Allowed. The origin server knows the request method, but the target resource does not support it. The response includes an Allow field.

  56. Ikhadi 56

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 505 mean?

    Impendulo

    HTTP Version Not Supported. The server does not support, or refuses to support, the major HTTP version used in the request.

  57. Ikhadi 57

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 208 mean?

    Impendulo

    Already Reported. Inside a WebDAV multistatus response, it avoids repeatedly enumerating descendants of another binding to the same collection.

  58. Ikhadi 58

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 303 mean?

    Impendulo

    See Other. The Location URI identifies a different resource that can provide an indirect response; the user agent retrieves it with GET or HEAD.

  59. Ikhadi 59

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 406 mean?

    Impendulo

    Not Acceptable. The target has no current representation acceptable under the request’s proactive negotiation fields, and the server will not send a default.

  60. Ikhadi 60

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 506 mean?

    Impendulo

    Variant Also Negotiates. The server has a transparent content-negotiation configuration error: the chosen variant is itself configured to negotiate.

  61. Ikhadi 61

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 226 mean?

    Impendulo

    IM Used. The server fulfilled a GET by returning the result of one or more instance manipulations applied to the current representation, identified in the IM response field.

  62. Ikhadi 62

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 305 mean?

    Impendulo

    Use Proxy — deprecated. It was defined to direct access through a proxy, but RFC 9110 marks the status code deprecated. New implementations should not rely on it.

  63. Ikhadi 63

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 407 mean?

    Impendulo

    Proxy Authentication Required. The client must authenticate to a proxy for this request. The proxy sends a Proxy-Authenticate challenge.

  64. Ikhadi 64

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 507 mean?

    Impendulo

    Insufficient Storage. The server cannot store the representation needed to complete the method. WebDAV defines this as a temporary condition.

  65. Ikhadi 65

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 408 mean?

    Impendulo

    Request Timeout. The server did not receive a complete request message within the time it was prepared to wait.

  66. Ikhadi 66

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 508 mean?

    Impendulo

    Loop Detected. The server terminated a WebDAV operation after finding an infinite loop while processing a Depth: infinity request.

  67. Ikhadi 67

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 412 mean?

    Impendulo

    Precondition Failed. One or more conditions in the request fields evaluated to false against the current resource state.

  68. Ikhadi 68

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 511 mean?

    Impendulo

    Network Authentication Required. The client must authenticate to gain network access. It is intended for an intercepting proxy, such as a captive portal, not an origin server.

  69. Ikhadi 69

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 413 mean?

    Impendulo

    Content Too Large. The server refuses to process the request because its content is larger than the server is willing or able to process.

  70. Ikhadi 70

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 411 mean?

    Impendulo

    Length Required. The server refuses the request without a defined Content-Length; the client can retry with a valid value.

  71. Ikhadi 71

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means a request precondition evaluated to false?

    Impendulo

    412 Precondition Failed. The method is not applied when the stated condition does not match the resource’s current state.

  72. Ikhadi 72

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code asks the client to authenticate for network access rather than to the origin server?

    Impendulo

    511 Network Authentication Required. It is designed for intercepting network proxies such as captive portals.

  73. Ikhadi 73

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 414 mean?

    Impendulo

    URI Too Long. The server refuses the request because the target URI is longer than it is willing to interpret.

  74. Ikhadi 74

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means the request content is too large to process?

    Impendulo

    413 Content Too Large. The refusal is about the size of the request content, not the URI or request headers.

  75. Ikhadi 75

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 415 mean?

    Impendulo

    Unsupported Media Type. The origin server refuses the request because its content format is unsupported for this method on the target resource.

  76. Ikhadi 76

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 416 mean?

    Impendulo

    Range Not Satisfiable. The requested ranges were rejected because none can be satisfied or because the request contains too many small or overlapping ranges.

  77. Ikhadi 77

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 422 mean?

    Impendulo

    Unprocessable Content. The server understands the content type and the syntax is correct, but it cannot process the contained instructions.

  78. Ikhadi 78

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 417 mean?

    Impendulo

    Expectation Failed. At least one inbound server could not meet the expectation stated in the request’s Expect field.

  79. Ikhadi 79

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means the request content format is unsupported for the target method?

    Impendulo

    415 Unsupported Media Type. The issue can come from Content-Type, Content-Encoding, or inspecting the data itself.

  80. Ikhadi 80

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 421 mean?

    Impendulo

    Misdirected Request. The request reached a server that cannot or will not produce an authoritative response for that target URI on the received connection.

  81. Ikhadi 81

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 423 mean?

    Impendulo

    Locked. In WebDAV, the source or destination resource for the method is locked.

  82. Ikhadi 82

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means syntactically correct content cannot be processed?

    Impendulo

    422 Unprocessable Content. The content type is understood and the syntax is valid, but the contained instructions cannot be processed.

  83. Ikhadi 83

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 424 mean?

    Impendulo

    Failed Dependency. The requested action depended on another action, and that other action failed.

  84. Ikhadi 84

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 425 mean?

    Impendulo

    Too Early. The server is unwilling to risk processing a request that might be replayed, such as a request sent in TLS early data.

  85. Ikhadi 85

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 429 mean?

    Impendulo

    Too Many Requests. The user sent too many requests in a given time. The response may include Retry-After.

  86. Ikhadi 86

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 426 mean?

    Impendulo

    Upgrade Required. The server refuses the current protocol but might perform the request after the client upgrades. The response states the required protocol in Upgrade.

  87. Ikhadi 87

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 428 mean?

    Impendulo

    Precondition Required. The origin server requires a conditional request, commonly to prevent a lost update when resource state changes between reading and writing.

  88. Ikhadi 88

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 431 mean?

    Impendulo

    Request Header Fields Too Large. The server refuses to process the request because all request headers together, or one particular header, are too large.

  89. Ikhadi 89

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code is registered for rate limiting?

    Impendulo

    429 Too Many Requests. It indicates too many requests in a given amount of time.

  90. Ikhadi 90

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 451 mean?

    Impendulo

    Unavailable For Legal Reasons. Access is denied because of a legal demand. The code does not establish whether the resource exists.

  91. Ikhadi 91

    Umbuzo

    How do HTTP 401 and 403 differ?

    Impendulo

    401 Unauthorized means the request lacks valid authentication credentials and includes an authentication challenge. 403 Forbidden means the server understood the request but refuses it; credentials may be insufficient or irrelevant to the refusal.

  92. Ikhadi 92

    Umbuzo

    How do HTTP 301, 302, 307, and 308 differ?

    Impendulo

    301 is permanent and may change POST to GET. 302 is temporary and may change POST to GET. 307 is temporary and preserves the method. 308 is permanent and preserves the method.

  93. Ikhadi 93

    Umbuzo

    How do HTTP 409 and 422 differ?

    Impendulo

    409 Conflict is about a conflict with the target resource’s current state. 422 Unprocessable Content is about understood, syntactically correct request content whose instructions cannot be processed. Neither code dictates one universal REST API policy.

  94. Ikhadi 94

    Umbuzo

    Which HTTP status code means access is denied because of a legal demand?

    Impendulo

    451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons. The response can explain the legal demand and who it affects.

  95. Ikhadi 95

    Umbuzo

    How do HTTP 404 and 410 differ?

    Impendulo

    404 Not Found does not say whether the missing representation is temporary or permanent and can also hide a resource’s existence. 410 Gone says the resource is no longer available and the condition is likely permanent.

  96. Ikhadi 96

    Umbuzo

    How do HTTP 202 and 204 differ?

    Impendulo

    202 Accepted means processing was accepted but is not complete and may never happen. 204 No Content means the request was successfully fulfilled and there is no additional response content.

  97. Ikhadi 97

    Umbuzo

    How do HTTP 502 and 504 differ?

    Impendulo

    502 Bad Gateway means the gateway or proxy received an invalid upstream response. 504 Gateway Timeout means it did not receive the needed upstream response in time.

  98. Ikhadi 98

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 104 mean, and what is its registry status?

    Impendulo

    Upload Resumption Supported — temporary. It is an informational response indicating resumable-upload support. IANA records registration on 13 November 2024, an extension on 15 September 2025, and expiry on 13 November 2026.

  99. Ikhadi 99

    Umbuzo

    What does HTTP status code 402 mean?

    Impendulo

    Payment Required — reserved for future use. IANA registers the reason phrase, but RFC 9110 does not define a general operational meaning. Treat application-specific payment uses as conventions, not universal HTTP semantics.

  100. Ikhadi 100

    Umbuzo

    What is the current registry status of HTTP 306?

    Impendulo

    Unused and reserved. RFC 9110 says 306 was defined previously, is no longer used, and remains reserved. It is not an ordinary redirect code.

  101. Ikhadi 101

    Umbuzo

    What is the current registry status of HTTP 418?

    Impendulo

    Unused and reserved. IANA does not register “I’m a Teapot” as the current reason phrase. RFC 9110 keeps 418 unavailable for other assignments because the joke code was widely deployed.

  102. Ikhadi 102

    Umbuzo

    What is the current registry status of HTTP 510?

    Impendulo

    Not Extended — obsoleted. The historical code said an extension policy was not met, but IANA marks it obsoleted after the HTTP extension experiments moved to Historic status.

Abstract glowing network paths connecting two endpoint forms around a central response pulse on a dark background.

amakhadi angu-102

HTTP Status Code Flashcards: Meanings, Classes & Use Cases

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