4xx Status Codes

In the realm of web development and SEO, 4xx status codes refer to a group of HTTP status codes that indicate client errors. These codes are returned by the server when the client (usually a web browser) has made a request that the server couldn’t fulfil for some reason.

Here are a few examples:

400 Bad Request:

Definition: The server couldn’t understand the request because it’s malformed or invalid. This often happens when there’s an issue with the data the client sent to the server.

401 Unauthorised:

Definition: The client is not authorized to access the requested resource. It typically means that the user needs to provide valid credentials, such as a username and password.

403 Forbidden:

Definition: The client is authenticated, but it doesn’t have permission to access the requested resource. It’s like being denied entry to a restricted area even though you’ve shown your ID.

404 Not Found:

Definition: Perhaps the most well-known 4xx code, it indicates that the server couldn’t find the requested resource. It’s like looking for a book in a library, and it’s not on the shelf.

In simple terms, when you encounter a 4xx status code, it usually means there’s an issue on the client side – either the request is incorrect, the user isn’t authorized, or the requested resource doesn’t exist. It’s like a signal from the server saying, “Hey, something’s not quite right with the way you’re asking for things.”