HTTP status codes explained (200, 301, 404, 500)

Every time a browser requests a page, the server responds with a status code — a three-digit number describing what happened. A few show up often enough to be worth understanding.

The common ones

• •200 — OK, the page loaded fine.
• •301 — permanent redirect (the page moved for good).
• •302 — temporary redirect.
• •404 — not found (the page doesn't exist).
• •500 — server error (something broke on the server).

Why they matter for SEO

The wrong codes cause problems: broken 404s frustrate visitors, missing 301s lose ranking value after a move, and 500 errors can get pages dropped. Checking Search Console for these errors is part of keeping a site healthy.