HTTP Status Code Checker: Check Status Code, 200, 301, 404 and 5xx
Free individual check · without registration
Check a single URL, multiple URLs, or an XML sitemap. You get the HTTP status of the final response, the number of forwards and the final destination URL. All results and CSV export are free of charge.
Result of the status code check
Checked URLs
The URL table can be scrolled laterally.
| URL | Final status | Redirects | Final URL / Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| No data yet. | |||
Appropriate error aid
HTTP status codes: meaning, causes and next steps
Arrange the measured code in the context of the URL: A deliberately protected page needs a different measure than a public product page. The causes are typical examples and must be tested on the affected system.
The reference table can be scrolled laterally.
| Status code | Significance | Typical cause | Next test step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 OK | Request successfully answered. | The requested page is delivered; even an error page can incorrectly report 200. | Check content in the browser. A blank page or error message despite 200 can be a soft-404; status and content must match. |
| 301 / 308 | Permanent transfer. | A URL has been permanently replaced or a host/HTTPS variant is unified. | Technically check the target and convert internal links and sitemap directly to the final URL. Remove unnecessary forwarding steps. |
| 302 / 307 | Temporary forwarding. | A temporary diversion or a permanently established rule with incorrect status. | Check if the diversion is really temporary. When moving permanently, use a suitable permanent redirect. |
| 401 Unauthorized | Valid application missing. | Login protection, expired access data or authentication before the content. | Check for inadvertent login protection for public sites. Leave protected areas deliberately protected; they do not belong in a public sitemap. |
| 403 Forbidden | Access is denied. | Permissions, WAF/Firewall rules, or a lock for certain IPs or clients. | Check server and WAF logs for the specific request. A successful browser request does not yet prove that the Checker or Googlebot can access it. |
| 404 Not Found | Resource not found. | An incorrect URL, a removed content, or a broken link. | Clean up internal links and sitemap. Forward only with a suitable replacement; permanently missing pages may deliver 404. |
| 410 Gone | Resource deliberately removed. | A content has been permanently withdrawn. | Remove URL from sitemap and internal links. If necessary, link directly to a technically suitable replacement. |
| 429 Too Many Requests | Too many questions. | Rate limit for server, CDN, WAF or an upstream service. | If available, observe retry afters, reduce request rate and check limits and logs. 401/403 is not used as a substitute for crawl thrusting. |
| 500 internal server errors | Internal server error. | For example, an application error, a faulty configuration or an exhausted resource limit. | Check application and server logs at retrieval time. Restrict recent deployments and resource usage; retrieve after correction. |
| 502 Bad Gateway | Invalid response of the upstream target server. | A proxy or gateway does not receive a valid response from the upstream. | Match Origin accessibility, proxy configuration, and upstream logs. Localize the error between CDN, web server and application. |
| 503 Service Unavailable | Service temporarily unavailable. | Maintenance, overload or temporary lack of capacity. | Check maintenance and capacity, send retry-afters if possible and control the return to a successful response. |
| 504 Gateway Timeout | Upstream does not respond in time. | A gateway waits too long for an application, database or other upstream service. | Investigate slow upstream requests and their logs. Resolve the cause before time limits are increased flat-rately. |
200 OK is not proof of an intact or indexed page
The checker measures HTTP responses. It does not confirm the content or indexing on Google and does not reliably detect Soft 404 pages. Open the final URL, check the actual page content and compare the URL check in the Search Console if necessary.
Basics: HTTP Semantics (RFC 9110), 429 and Retry After (RFC 6585) and Google's handling of HTTP status codes.
Check HTTP status with curl
Replace the example URL with your address. The command sends a GET request, shows the response headers and discards the page content. Redirects are not initially tracked so that the first status and a possible location destination remain visible.
curl --silent --show-error --dump-header - --output /dev/null 'https://example.com/'Track forwardings
Complement them --location --max-redirs 5. So you see the response headers of the individual redirects up to the final answer. On Windows, you can curl.exe and --output NUL use them.
Head and GET differ
curl -I It uses HEAD instead of GET. Some servers treat these methods differently. Check against deviations with GET and also take into account user agents, cookies and possible IP blocks.
What do HTTP status codes mean for SEO?
200 OK This means that a URL can be reached successfully. For indexable pages, this is usually the desired state.
3xx status codes indicate forwardings. In sitemaps and internal links, the final destination URLs should be used as directly as possible.
4xx error 404 or 410 can indicate deleted, incorrectly linked or incorrect URLs.
5xx error indicate server issues and should be prioritized as they can hinder crawling and indexing.
Typical problems with sitemaps and URL lists
When checking XML sitemaps or URL lists, not only individual status code errors often appear, but recurring technical patterns. Especially after relaunches, migrations, deployments or URL changes, it is worthwhile to systematically identify and prioritize these problems.
Redirects in the Sitemap
In XML sitemaps, the final destination URLs should be located as directly as possible. 301 or 302 redirects in sitemaps are an indication that old URLs are still entered or that conversions have not been consistently corrected.
404 and 410 errors
Unreachable URLs in sitemaps or URL lists often indicate deleted content, incorrect internal linking, old import data, or incompletely adjusted migrations. These URLs should be checked prioritized.
5xx errors and unstable target URLs
Server errors are particularly critical because they can directly affect crawling, indexing and accessibility. When URLs from the sitemap provide 5xx status codes, this often speaks for server problems, timeouts or incorrect deployments.
Wrong final destination URLs
Even if a URL ends up successfully on a 200 page, the final destination URL can be problematic – for example, with unnecessary intermediate steps, incorrect language versions, outdated paths or unwanted parameters.
HTTP/HTTPS or www-/non-www mix
In URL lists and sitemaps there are often still old variants with HTTP instead of HTTPS or mixed host names with and without www. This leads to unnecessary redirects and shows that canonical, redirect or sitemap setups are not yet properly harmonized.
Problems after relaunch or migration
After domain changes, CMS migrations or URL changes, old destination URLs, redirect chains or erroneous sitemap entries are often left behind. A status code check helps to make such migration errors quickly visible.
What you should pay particular attention to
- Sitemaps should only have indexable URLs with 200 OK contained therein.
- Redirects in sitemaps are often a sign of outdated or unadjusted URL entries.
- 4xx and 5xx errors should be prioritized checked and fixed.
- The Final Target URL is crucial – not just the first status code.
Status Code Checker for SEO, Relaunch and Technical QA
Who according to HTTP status code, Status code, URL Status Code Checker or HTTP Status Code Checker searches, usually does not want to see only a number. The decisive factor is whether important URLs can be reached directly with 200 OK, whether sitemaps contain old redirects and whether error pages load rankings, internal links or crawling.
Therefore, the check per URL shows the status, the number of redirects and the final destination URL. Typical SEO problems can be distinguished more quickly: harmless individual redirect, broken sitemap URL, wrong landing page, server errors or relaunch remaining stock.
Quickly see if an important landing page directly delivers or forwards 200 OK.
Test multiple URLs line by line and prioritize 3xx, 4xx, or 5xx patterns.
Detect if XML sitemaps contain obsolete redirects, 404/410 URLs, or server errors.
Not only see the first status, but also evaluate the final destination URL and unnecessary detours.
After the status code, canonicals, robots and header signals count for the question of whether a page can be indexed.
Header signals such as X-Robots tag, content type or cache rules complement the status code evaluation.
FAQ: HTTP status code checker
Frequent questions about HTTP status codes, redirects, XML sitemaps, URL lists and typical technical SEO problems.
What is an HTTP status code?
An HTTP status code is a server’s response to a URL request. Typical examples are: 200 OK for successfully reachable pages, 301 or 302 for transfers, 404 for pages not found, and 5xx for server errors.
What Does HTTP Status Code 200 Mean?
200 OK This means that the URL can be reached successfully. For important indexable pages, landing pages and sitemap URLs, this is usually the target state, as long as Canonical, Robots signals and content also fit.
Why should I check URLs from my sitemap?
If possible, an XML sitemap should contain only clean, indexable URLs. If redirects, 404 errors, 410 status codes or 5xx problems appear there, this is often an indication of outdated entries, migration errors or incompletely cleaned URL structures.
Are redirects in a sitemap problematic?
Often yes. In Sitemaps, the final destination URLs should be located as directly as possible. Redirects in a sitemap cause unnecessary intermediate steps and often show that old URLs are still entered or URL changes have not been consistently followed.
When are 301 or 302 redirects problematic?
301 Usually stands for a permanent transfer, 302 rather for a temporary forwarding. For SEO, it is important that forwardings are used sensibly and lead as directly as possible to the correct final destination URL. Redirects are especially problematic in sitemaps, in internal links, as chains or if a temporary 302 redirect should actually be permanent.
Should 404 URLs be in the sitemap?
No. An XML sitemap should guide search engines to current, indexable landing pages. 404 or 410 URLs in the sitemap are usually obsolete entries and should be removed or, if there is a suitable follow-up page, forwarded neatly.
What is the difference between 404 and 410?
Both status codes indicate that a URL is not available. 404 Means “not found” while 410 Clearer signals that a page has been permanently removed. Both are relevant for technical analyses, especially if such URLs are still internally linked or contained in sitemaps.
Why are 5xx errors particularly critical?
5xx status codes indicate server problems. They can directly affect crawling, accessibility and indexing and should therefore be checked prioritized – especially if they occur with many URLs or important pages.
Why is the final destination URL important?
For technical SEO questions, it is often not enough to only know the first status code. What matters is where a URL actually lands after redirects. Especially for redirects, domain changes, HTTP/HTTPS changes or incorrect language versions, the final destination URL is often the real sticking point.
Can I use the tool to check a complete XML sitemap?
The tool is designed for XML sitemaps and URL lists and is well suited for quick technical checks. Depending on the scope and limits, it is ideal for bulk checks, but it does not replace a full website crawler or a comprehensive SEO audit for very large websites.
What is the difference between HTTP status code and status code?
Both mean the same signal in everyday SEO: the response code that a server provides for a URL. The checker covers both searches and shows the status code as well as the redirect number, errors and final destination URL, so that the technical classification is easier.
How do I check multiple URLs for their status code?
You can insert multiple URLs line by line or specify an XML sitemap directly. For larger URL sets, a check by page type is recommended: Start page, categories, important landing pages, old ranking URLs and sitemap URLs separately evaluate.
What is the difference between Statuscode Checker and Redirect Checker?
With the HTTP status code checker, you can check which status a URL provides and whether redirects, errors or final destination URLs occur. A redirect checker focuses more on the logic of individual forwardings and redirect chains. For sitemaps or larger URL lists, the status code checker is usually the broader introduction.
When is a status code checker no longer sufficient?
If there are many redirects, 404 errors, 5xx problems, inconsistent target URLs or other technical anomalies, a single tool is often no longer enough. Then a complete website check is useful to also check internal linking, canonicals, meta robots, sitemaps, indexing and other technical SEO signals in connection.
Appropriate Next Checks
Check status codes where sales and rankings depend
A single 404 is rarely the problem. It becomes critical if important categories, product pages, guides, old ranking URLs or sitemap URLs can no longer be reached directly after a relaunch. The status code Checker helps to quickly sort these cases from URL lists, sitemaps, crawl exports or redirect mappings into actionable groups.
Check old URLs against new targets, detect false redirects and intercept 404 losses before the go-live.
Only indexable 200 URLs belong in the XML sitemap. Redirects, 404 and 5xx are clear care instructions.
Internal links on redirects or error pages cost crawl budget, user trust and often conversion.
5xx, timeouts and inconsistent target versions should be checked first because they can block crawling directly.
Recognizing a seemingly successful error side
Practical example · for illustration
Starting position
Check a no longer existing product URL.
Classify the findings
HTTP 200 only confirms a successful technical response. A visible “product not found” text can still be a soft 404 situation.
Specific amendment
For finally removed content, deliver a matching 404/410 or forward targeted in the case of a real replacement.
Control and border
Check status and page content again. For content indices, supplement the Soft 404 Checker; check Google’s ranking in Search Console.