Web Server Error Codes

by Allen   |   last updated June 26, 2008   |   General Tutorials ·

Sometimes when trying to access a web page, an error code will appear. Have you ever wondered what that code meant? Here is a list of the most popular error codes and their description. The first thing you should do anytime you get an error code is to make sure that you have entered the correct web page addressed. Everyone has incorrectly spelled a company name or added too many periods.

401 – Authorization Required

This error code means that you must have special access to view this page. The developers may want only certain people to access this page. There are several ways to limit access to a web page, including password protection. You may get the “401 – Authorization Required” error message when you try to view a web page with limited access. (A web site may have a customized version of this error message, displaying “Access Denied” or “Unavailable.”)

403 – Forbidden

This standard error message is generated by web servers when you try to access a file that has not been correctly configured by whomever maintains it. (The file needs to be set with “read permissions” for all users.) What this code most likely means is that you can’t view the page because whomever maintains the site set it up incorrectly.

404 – Page not found

A 404 – Not Found error means that there was no web page with the name you specified at the web site. This could happen for a variety of reasons:
Make sure that the web address (URL) that you typed in exactly matches the address you were given. Check that the capitalization matches, that all words are spelled properly, and that all the punctuation, like dots (.) and slashes (/), are correct. Be sure you are using the forward slash (/) and not the backward slash (\). (Remember, there are no spaces allowed in Web addresses, and a proper Web address will look like http://www.htmlcenter.com).
The page may have been renamed, moved, or deleted. Another possibility is that the person maintaining the web page may no longer have an account at that location.

500 – Page not available

If the server has been incorrectly set up or is experiencing technical problems, it will return this error. Again the first thing to do is make sure that you have typed in the address correctly.

501 – Not Implemented

This error is a direct result of problems in the web page’s HTML (HyperText Markup Language). It usually occurs with web pages that contain forms in which you type information and send it to a third party.