Technical SEO
What is HTTP Status Codes?
SEO Glossary · Technical SEO
Definition
HTTP status codes indicate the result of a server's response to a browser request. 200 = success, 301 = permanent redirect, 302 = temporary redirect, 404 = not found, 500 = server error. Broken pages (404s) waste crawl budget.
Example
A 301 redirect from /old-page to /new-page preserves link equity. A 404 error means the page doesn't exist — search engines won't index it.
Try Our Free Tools
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HTTP Status Codes? ▼
HTTP status codes indicate the result of a server's response to a browser request. 200 = success, 301 = permanent redirect, 302 = temporary redirect, 404 = not found, 500 = server error. Broken pages (404s) waste crawl budget.
Why is it important for SEO? ▼
Understanding HTTP Status Codes helps you optimize your website better, rank higher in search results, and drive more organic traffic. It's a fundamental concept every SEO professional and content creator should know.
How do I apply this in practice? ▼
A 301 redirect from /old-page to /new-page preserves link equity. A 404 error means the page doesn't exist — search engines won't index it.
Explore our complete SEO glossary
Browse All Terms