Example HTTP Response
HTTP/1.1 414 URI Too Long- Too many query parameters
- Accidentally recursive redirects
- Encoded data in URL instead of body
What does this mean?
That URL is a novel! Like trying to write your life story on a sticky note. Keep it short and sweet!
Technical Definition
The URI requested by the client is longer than the server is willing to interpret.
RFC Says
"The 414 (URI Too Long) status code indicates that the server is refusing to service the request because the request-target is longer than the server is willing to interpret. This rare condition is only likely to occur when a client has improperly converted a POST request to a GET request with long query information."
Plain English:
414 means 'Your URL is too long.' This usually happens when developers try to pass too much data in query parameters. The typical limit is around 2,000-8,000 characters depending on the server.
Common Misinterpretation
If you're hitting this error, you're probably doing something wrong architecturally. Use POST requests with a request body instead of GET with massive query strings. Don't try to pass large datasets or complex objects in the URL.
Ready-to-use code for returning this HTTP status in your application:
// Express.js
app.get('/example', (req, res) => {
res.status(414).json({
error: 'URI Too Long',
message: 'Your error message here'
});
});
// Native HTTP
const http = require('http');
http.createServer((req, res) => {
res.writeHead(414, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
res.end(JSON.stringify({
error: 'URI Too Long',
message: 'Your error message here'
}));
}).listen(3000);