# HTTP Status Codes Guide

Reference list of HTTP response status codes and their meaning.

- Tool: https://ilham.dev/tools/http-status-codes/
- Guide URL: https://ilham.dev/guides/http-status-codes/
- Tool guides index: https://ilham.dev/guides/tools/
- Broader guide: HTTP and API Debugging (https://ilham.dev/guides/http-api-debugging/)

## What it does

A searchable reference of HTTP response status codes, what each one means and when a server should return it.

## Use the tool

Open https://ilham.dev/tools/http-status-codes/, add the input the tool asks for, run it, and check the output before using it elsewhere.

## Input and output

- Input: text.
- Output: text.
- Category: Web.

## Privacy and processing
Processing happens locally in your browser. This tool does not upload the input to ilham.dev.

## Questions

### When should I return 401 instead of 403?

401 means the request is unauthenticated — the client should try again with credentials. 403 means it is authenticated but not allowed, and trying again will not help.

### Does 200 always mean success?

For a GET, usually. For an API, a 200 carrying an error object is a common and unhelpful habit. Prefer a status code that matches the outcome.