Interview Questions/Phone Screen/Common HTTP Status Codes
BeginnerPhone
2 min

Common HTTP Status Codes

HTTPWeb DevelopmentNetworking
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Interview Question

Explain the meaning of HTTP status codes 200, 301, 403, 404, and 500.

Key Points to Cover
  • 200: OK - successful request
  • 301: Permanent redirect
  • 403: Forbidden - lack of permissions
  • 404: Not found
  • 500: Internal server error
Evaluation Rubric
Correctly explains 200 OK20% weight
Explains 301 redirect20% weight
Explains forbidden error20% weight
Explains not found20% weight
Explains server error20% weight
Hints
  • 💡Focus on most common HTTP codes
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
  • ⚠️Simply stating the definition without providing context or common use cases for each code.
  • ⚠️Confusing '401 Unauthorized' (authentication required/failed) with '403 Forbidden' (authenticated but no permission).
  • ⚠️Not clearly distinguishing between client-side errors (4xx) and server-side errors (5xx).
  • ⚠️Failing to mention the importance of 301 for SEO and permanent URL changes.
  • ⚠️Giving overly simplistic explanations, such as just '200: OK', without elaborating on its significance in a request-response cycle.
Potential Follow-up Questions
  • What’s the difference between 301 and 302?
  • When do you return 503?
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