What are HTTP Status Codes? Types, Meaning & Their Impact on Website SEO
Whenever you browse a website, every click, every page load, and every server response matters. HTTP status codes, often overlooked, are a crucial part of website performance and SEO. The browser understands whether a page is loading correctly, redirecting, or displaying an error—all thanks to HTTP status codes.
Understanding these status codes is essential if you want to improve your website’s ranking, Google crawling, user experience, and technical SEO.
Here, you’ll learn what HTTP is, what HTTP status codes are, the different types of status codes and what they indicate, their impact on SEO, and how you can properly manage these codes to improve website performance.
What is HTTP?
Before understanding HTTP status codes, it’s important to know what HTTP is.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a set of rules or a method that allows your browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge) and a website’s server to communicate with each other. Every page on the internet loads using this protocol.
When you click on a link or type a URL, your browser sends a request to the server saying:
“Show me this webpage.”
The server then processes your request and sends a response back to the browser. This response typically includes three things:
The webpage or data you requested
Some technical information (headers)
The status of the request — that is, what happened?
- The page loaded successfully
- The page was redirected elsewhere
- The page was not found
- Or an error occurred
This status of the request is indicated by a three-digit number, which we call the HTTP status code.
In simple terms:
HTTP is the language of the internet that browsers and servers use to communicate with each other.
And HTTP status codes tell you the outcome of your request — whether the page was found, not found, or failed to load for some reason.
What are HTTP status codes?
HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers that a server sends when your browser or a search engine requests to open a webpage (URL).
These codes indicate what happened with your request—
- whether the page opened successfully,
- whether it was redirected elsewhere,
- whether an error occurred,
- or whether the user needs to take further action.
Some common HTTP status codes are:
200 – Page opened successfully
301 – Page permanently moved to a new location (Permanent Redirect)
404 – Page not found
500 – Server error (Internal Server Error)
Google and other search engines also use these codes to understand:
- whether a page is working correctly
- whether it should be indexed
- Should the SEO power of the old URL be carried over to the new URL?
- whether a page has been removed or still exists
- whether the server is stable or experiencing problems
Therefore, properly understanding and properly managing the different HTTP status codes is crucial for your website’s SEO, rankings, and overall health.
The Different Status Codes and What They Say
HTTP status codes are divided into five categories, and each category starts with a different number.
1xx – Informational Codes
1xx codes indicate that the server has received your request and is processing it. These are only preliminary notifications.
Examples:
100 – Continue
101 – Switching Protocols
These codes are generally not very useful for SEO or troubleshooting website issues.
2xx – Success Codes
2xx status codes indicate that your request was successfully completed.
200: Success
This is a very important and the most common status code.
Meaning:
The webpage you requested opened without any problems, and the server provided a correct response.
Impact on SEO:
The page is easily crawlable.
The content is ready for indexing.
Users have a good experience.
Google highly favors stable and properly functioning pages with a 200 status code.
3xx – Redirection Codes
3xx codes indicate that the URL you were trying to access has been redirected to a different URL. This means the page address has changed—sometimes permanently, sometimes temporarily.
301: Permanent Redirect
Meaning:
The URL that the user or search engine tried to access has been permanently moved to a new URL. The new URL should always be used instead of the old one.
SEO Impact:
- Passes approximately 90–99% of link juice/SEO value to the new URL
- Very useful for website migrations, changing URLs, or fixing broken URLs
- 301 redirects are essential when changing domains or site structure
302: Temporary Redirect
Meaning:
The URL has been temporarily redirected to another page. This is not a permanent change.
SEO Impact:
- Link juice is not fully passed
- Google and other search engines keep the old URL in their index
- Incorrect use of 302 can harm SEO
When to use:
- Use 302 only when the redirect is truly temporary, such as for:
- Maintenance, testing, A/B testing, etc.
Note:
3xx codes also indicate why the page is being redirected and which new URL the browser or search engine should go to.
4xx – Client-Side Error Codes
4xx codes indicate that the page the user tried to access is unavailable or the request is invalid. This is usually a problem related to the user or the URL.
404: Not Found
Meaning:
The page you tried to access does not exist on the server — either it has been removed, or the URL is incorrect.
SEO Impact:
- A high number of 404 errors negatively impacts user experience.
- Wastes Google’s crawl budget.
- If internal links on your site point to 404 pages, link value is lost.
- These pages should either be fixed or redirected to the correct URL.
410: Gone
Meaning:
This page has been intentionally removed and will not be coming back.
SEO Impact:
- Google removes pages with a 410 status code from its index faster than those with a 404 status code.
- Useful for de-indexing old or unwanted content.
- Clearly signals to Google that the page has been intentionally removed.
451: Unavailable for Legal Reasons
Meaning:
This page is blocked due to a legal restriction, copyright dispute, or government order.
SEO Impact:
- Such a page may be removed from search results or not crawled.
- This is usually outside the website owner’s control.
5xx – Server Error Code
5xx errors indicate that the problem is not with your website but with the server. These errors are considered the most harmful to SEO, so they should not be taken lightly.
500: Internal Server Error
What does it mean?
There’s a technical issue on the server—causing it to be unable to load your page. This could be due to reasons like a plugin conflict, a database error, or server overload.
What impact does it have on SEO?
- Google can’t crawl the page.
- If the error persists for a long time, the page may be removed from search results.
- Users find the website unstable.
- This indicates that your hosting or server setup is not reliable.
Always fix a 500 error immediately.
503: Service Unavailable
What does it mean?
This code indicates that the server is currently unable to handle the request—such as due to maintenance, updates, or a temporary overload.
SEO Impact:
Google considers this a temporary error.
Using a 503 is safest during website updates or maintenance.
It tells Google that the page will be back later, so de-indexing doesn’t occur.
Note:
A 503 is perfectly fine for a short time, but if it persists for hours or days, it can seriously harm a site’s ranking.
HTTP Status Codes Important for SEO (Detailed Analysis)
Below is a more detailed SEO-focused explanation of the main codes:
200: Success
- This is the most suitable code for all indexable pages.
- It maintains page visibility and SEO value.
- It helps in maintaining stable rankings in Google.
Suggestion:
Pages with a 200 status code should always be fast-loading, optimized, and updated to provide a better experience for both users and search engines.
301: Permanent Redirect
When to use:
- When migrating from HTTP to HTTPS
- When removing or adding trailing slashes to URLs
- When updating your website’s URL structure
- When changing domains
Impact on SEO:
Using a 301 redirect preserves your website’s SEO value and link equity, making it easier to maintain rankings during migration.
302: Temporary Redirect
When to use:
- For temporary offers or seasonal pages
- During A/B testing
- To test a page for a short period
Note:
302 redirects should not be used to change permanent URLs, as they do not fully pass on SEO value.
404: Page Not Found
When is a 404 acceptable?
- When the page genuinely doesn’t exist.
- When you want to display a custom 404 error page to the user.
When is a 404 bad for SEO?
- If many internal links are pointing directly to a 404 page.
- If external backlinks land on a 404 page.
- This wastes Google’s crawl budget and negatively impacts SEO.
410: Gone
When to use it:
- For removing old articles
- For expired job listings
- For deleted product pages
- For content removed for legal reasons
Impact on SEO:
Google recognizes 410 faster than 404 and removes the page from the index more quickly.
451: Unavailable for Legal Reasons
When is it used?
- When government orders block certain content
- In copyright cases
- Due to DMCA requests
Impact on SEO:
- This page is not indexed or is removed from Google’s index.
- This is usually outside the website owner’s control.
500: Internal Server Error
Possible Causes:
- Plugin conflict in WordPress or another CMS
- Database crash
- Excessive server load
- Missing essential files
Impact on SEO:
- Googlebot cannot crawl the page
- Negatively impacts crawlability and site health
- Frequent 500 errors can lead to a drop in website rankings
Recommendation:
- The 500 error should be fixed immediately to protect both SEO and user experience.
503: Service Unavailable
Key Point:
503 is an error code that is considered SEO-friendly.
When to use it:
- During website updates or changes
- During system maintenance
- When the server is overloaded
Impact on SEO:
- Google understands that this is a temporary problem
- The page is not removed from the index
- It prevents the page from being de-indexed
Note:
503 should only be used for a short period. If it persists for a long time, it can harm SEO.
Managing HTTP Status Codes (Best Practices)
Simply knowing HTTP status codes isn’t enough. Managing them correctly is crucial for a website’s long-term performance and SEO. Below are some best practices for effectively handling HTTP status codes.
1. Monitor Status Codes Regularly
2. Fix 404 errors quickly
Page exists: Return 200 status
Page has moved: Implement 301 redirect
Page permanently removed: Use 410 Gone
Consequences of ignoring:
Google reduces your crawl budget
Rankings may drop
Domain authority decreases
3. Keep redirect chains short.
Very long redirect chains harm both website speed and SEO.
Examples of bad redirect chains:
A → B → C
A → B → C → D
Their disadvantages:
- Increased page load time
- Weakened link value
- Wasted Google crawl budget
The best solution:
Redirect A directly to C with a single 301 redirect.
4. Fix 5xx Server Errors Immediately
5xx errors are among the most dangerous for your website’s SEO, so it’s crucial to fix them immediately.
What to do:
- Check hosting or server logs
- Restart the server if necessary
- Increase server memory or resources
- Disable faulty or conflicting plugins/themes
- Contact hosting support immediately if you can’t identify the problem
Remember:
A stable and fast server = better SEO and higher rankings.
5. Use 503 with caution.
If your website is under maintenance or temporarily down, the 503 code is appropriate.
What to do:
- Return a 503 status during maintenance.
- Include a “Retry-After” header so Google knows when to check back.
- Important: A 503 status should never be active for an extended period —
- It should only be for a few minutes or a short duration.
6. Choose the correct status code when changing URLs
Whenever you change a page’s URL, it’s crucial to implement the correct redirect.
Use:
301 → When the URL has changed permanently
302 → When the change is temporary
307 / 308 → When you also need to preserve the request method (GET/POST)
Keep in mind:
Incorrect redirects can harm your search engine rankings.
7. Create a useful custom 404 page
When a page isn’t found, a good 404 page helps keep users on your site.
What a good 404 page should include:
- A search box, so users can find the content they’re looking for
- A navigation menu, allowing them to explore other parts of the site
- A home page button, for easy return to the main page
- A simple and friendly message, such as “Page not found”
- Links to popular or important pages, so users can quickly find what they need
Benefits:
This improves the user experience and reduces the bounce rate.
Conclusion
Understanding HTTP status codes is crucial for building a robust and SEO-friendly website. These small codes indicate whether your webpage is functioning correctly, being redirected, is missing, or if there’s a server issue.
If you properly manage important codes like 200, 301, 302, 404, 410, 451, 500, and 503, your website will perform faster, users will be happier, and Google will crawl and rank your site more effectively.
Key takeaways:
200 = Page is working
301 = Permanent redirect
302 = Temporary redirect
404 = Avoid unwanted errors
410 = For permanently removed content
5xx = Fix immediately
503 = Only for temporary maintenance
Using these codes correctly improves your website’s growth, SEO, and user experience—all at once. If you want to improve your website’s SEO performance, Tejhaksh Technologies is one of India’s best digital marketing companies that can help you rank your website on top.
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