Best Practices for Status Codes

1. Introduction

HTTP status codes are three-digit responses issued by a server in response to a client's request made to the server. They indicate whether the request was successfully processed, or if there was an error, and categorize the type of response accordingly. Understanding and implementing best practices for status codes is crucial for effective API design and user experience.

2. Status Code Categories

Status codes are categorized into five classes:

• 1xx: Informational
• 2xx: Success
• 3xx: Redirection
• 4xx: Client Error
• 5xx: Server Error

3. Best Practices

When implementing HTTP status codes, consider the following best practices:

1. Use the Correct Status Code: Always use the most specific status code that describes the outcome of the request to provide clear information to the client.
2. Avoid Using 200 for All Responses: Use status codes like 404 for not found, 403 for forbidden, etc., instead of defaulting to 200.
3. Provide Meaningful Responses: Along with status codes, return a descriptive message in the body to clarify the result.
4. Be Consistent: Maintain consistency in how you use status codes across your API to avoid confusion.
5. Implement Proper Error Handling: Ensure that client errors (4xx) are well-defined to help users understand what went wrong.

4. Code Examples

GET /api/resource HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
Accept: application/json

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "data": "Resource data here"
}
        

POST /api/resource HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "name": "New Resource"
}

HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Location: /api/resource/123
        

GET /api/nonexistent HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com

HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "error": "Resource not found"
}
        

5. FAQ