Friday, November 1, 2024
HomeTechThe Ultimate Guide to Understanding HTTP Status Codes

The Ultimate Guide to Understanding HTTP Status Codes

Published on

Malware protection

An HTTP status codes is a message given to a browser to let it know the request submitted to view a particular website was received and processed. While most users never even see HTTP codes, they are an integral part of the web browsing experience.

The Internet is home to over 1 billion websites. Once you have built and launched a new website, monitoring it for performance and reliability is a must. While some developers and entrepreneurs used cloud-based Syslog server tools, others reply on reports of HTTP error codes to find and diagnose website functionality issues.

However, there are times when HTTP status codes will be presented to the user to indicate a problem has occurred. When this happens, the owner or manager of the website in question will have to take action. Here are some of the things you need to understand HTTP codes and how to use them.

- Advertisement - SIEM as a Service

Where Do HTTP Status Codes Come From?

Most Internet users fail to realize that every time they click a link to a website or enter a URL in their browser, it submits a request to a web server. Once this request is received, the server in question will process it and allocate the necessary resources to complete the request.

The only time a person will actually see the HTTP status codes from their request is when something goes wrong. Generally, the server will supply a generic message when errors occur so the user can gain some understanding of what may be causing their problem.

HTTP Status Codes

Understanding HTTP Status Codes Class

As you probably guessed, there are a variety of different HTTP status codes. Each of the code classes is used to signify certain issues that may be occurring. Understanding these HTTP status code classes can help you find and diagnose issues with ease.

The Success Codes:100s and 200s

If you are going to monitor the HTTP codes for your website, you ideally want to see all 100 and 200 series status codes. Seeing these codes means that servers are receiving requests to view your website and are able to complete these requests in a timely manner.

In most cases, 100 series codes will be issued to indicate the request made by the user to the browser is continuing successfully. The 200 series codes are given after the request is given, understood and resourced properly.

The Problematic Codes: 300s, 400s, and 500s

While getting HTTP codes in the 100 and 200 range means you are doing everything right with your website, there are codes designed to indicate big problems. When these codes start to come upon a frequent basis, it means there are issues you need to figure out immediately. The longer you wait to get a handle on these problems, the harder you will find it to get leads from your website.

300 Codes Redirects Users

When a person requests to see a site that has either moved or changed names, they may be presented with a 300 HTTP status code. Generally, this code will substitute the requested resource for the new site. Before it does this, it will give the user a status code to tell them what is going on.

400 Codes Signify Clientside Errors

There will be times when a user’s request to see a website can’t be completed due to problems with their network. When this happens, the user will be given a 400 series HTTP code. Upon seeing this code, a user will need to check their Internet connection to ensure it is still functional.

500 Codes are Presented For Server Errors

If you are the owner or manager of a website, 500 HTTP status codes are something you need to pay attention to. Often times, this code will surface when there are server issues present. Contacting the company that hosts your website is essential when faced with these problems.

Reach out to Professionals For Help

When faced with website problems, you need to work with IT professionals to solve. These professionals can identify and fix these issues in a hurry.

Also Read: HTTPS Strict Transport Security: What is It and How it Works

Balaji
Balaji
BALAJI is an Ex-Security Researcher (Threat Research Labs) at Comodo Cybersecurity. Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder - Cyber Security News & GBHackers On Security.

Latest articles

LightSpy iOS Malware Enhanced with 28 New Destructive Plugins

The LightSpy threat actor exploited publicly available vulnerabilities and jailbreak kits to compromise iOS...

ATPC Cyber Forum to Focus on Next Generation Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence Issues

White House National Cyber Director, CEOs, Key Financial Services Companies, Congressional and Executive Branch...

New PySilon RAT Abusing Discord Platform to Maintain Persistence

Cybersecurity experts have identified a new Remote Access Trojan (RAT) named PySilon. This Trojan...

Konni APT Hackers Attacking Organizations with New Spear-Phishing Tactics

The notorious Konni Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group has intensified its cyber assault on...

Free Webinar

Protect Websites & APIs from Malware Attack

Malware targeting customer-facing websites and API applications poses significant risks, including compliance violations, defacements, and even blacklisting.

Join us for an insightful webinar featuring Vivek Gopalan, VP of Products at Indusface, as he shares effective strategies for safeguarding websites and APIs against malware.

Discussion points

Scan DOM, internal links, and JavaScript libraries for hidden malware.
Detect website defacements in real time.
Protect your brand by monitoring for potential blacklisting.
Prevent malware from infiltrating your server and cloud infrastructure.

More like this

10 Best Linux Distributions In 2024

The Linux Distros is generally acknowledged as the third of the holy triplet of...

Serhiy Tokarev Reveals Roosh’s Investment in the French Freelance Platform

Ukrainian Roosh Ventures has invested in the French freelance platform Jump. This was announced...

Download KMSAuto for Free to Activate Windows or Office – The Complete Guide

KMSAuto is a strong solution in the software world that allows users to effortlessly...