When you’re managing a website, whether it’s a blog or an e-commerce platform hosted on ava.hosting’s reliable VPS or dedicated servers, encountering HTTP errors can be a headache. These errors occur when a web server can’t deliver the requested page to a client, communicating the issue via a code in the HTTP header. Understanding these codes is key to diagnosing and resolving issues quickly, ensuring your ava.hosting site runs smoothly. For example, requesting a nonexistent page on your ava.hosting site might trigger a 404 error, signaling the need for a quick fix to restore user access. This guide explains HTTP error codes, their types, and how to interpret them, empowering you to maintain a seamless online experience.

HTTP error codes are standardized responses defined in RFC 2616 (HTTP/1.1), issued by a web server to indicate the status of a client’s request. Each code corresponds to a specific outcome, from success to critical errors, and is sent in the HTTP header. For a detailed reference, consult RFC 2616.

An example of a web request made manually using the program telnet:

# telnet www.ava.hosting 80

Trying 217.16.20.20…

Connected to www.ava.hosting.

HEAD / HTTP/1.1

Host: www.ava.hosting

 

HTTP/1.1 200 OK

Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 08:24:07 GMT

Server: CoffeeMaker/1.12 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.8 OpenSSL/0.9

The server returned a successful error code of 200 (OK). This was an example of a correct request to a document existing on the server that completed successfully. If the requested document did not exist on the server, the server would behave differently and issue a 404 error (document not found):

# telnet www.ava.hosting 80

Trying 217.16.20.20…

Connected to www.ava.hosting.

HEAD /abcdef HTTP/1.1

Host: www.ava.hosting

HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found

Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 08:42:01 GMT

Server: CoffeeMaker/1.12 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.8 OpenSSL/0.9

 

Error codes can be positive and negative or successful and unsuccessful. There are four types of codes:

  • 2xx – request completed successfully – the server successfully sent the requested document to the client
  • 3xx – the request was successfully redirected – also a positive code. It indicates that the client’s request has been redirected. Used when working with caching servers, as well as in the algorithm when the client browser checks the relevance of the document on the server (date of creation, size, etc.)
  • 4xx – error – the document was not sent to the client because a critical error occurred. For example, the requested document was not found on the server, access to the document is denied, and so on
  • 5xx – server error – a critical error on the server. For example, the user’s script could not be processed normally on the server

HTTP error codes are your server’s way of signaling what went wrong—or right—with a client’s request, and understanding them is essential for maintaining a reliable website on ava.hosting’s robust infrastructure. Whether you’re troubleshooting a 404 Not Found for a missing page or resolving a 500 Internal Server Error from a faulty script on your ava.hosting VPS, these codes guide you to the root cause. For instance, a 301 redirect might ensure secure https access to your ava.hosting e-commerce site, while a 403 could prompt you to adjust permissions in your control panel. By mastering HTTP error codes and leveraging ava.hosting’s intuitive tools, you can quickly diagnose issues and keep your website accessible and efficient.