200 OK

200

✨

Example HTTP Response

HTTP Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json

{"status": "success"}

Common Causes

Successful GET request returning data
Successful POST request completing action
Any successful HTTP operation

Technical Details

What does this mean?

Everything is awesome! Your request was perfect and here's exactly what you asked for.

Technical Definition

The request succeeded. The meaning of success depends on the HTTP method used.

RFC Says

"The 200 (OK) status code indicates that the request has succeeded. The payload sent in a 200 response depends on the request method."

Plain English:

200 means 'success!' The exact meaning depends on what type of request you made - GET returns the data you asked for, POST confirms your action was processed, etc.

Common Misinterpretation

Some developers mistakenly use 200 for all responses, even errors. If an operation failed, use a 4xx or 5xx status code, not 200 with an error message in the body.

View RFC Documentation

Code Snippets

Ready-to-use code for returning this HTTP status in your application:

Node.js

// Express.js
app.get('/example', (req, res) => {
  res.status(200).json({
    error: 'OK',
    message: 'Your error message here'
  });
});

// Native HTTP
const http = require('http');

http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
  res.end(JSON.stringify({
    error: 'OK',
    message: 'Your error message here'
  }));
}).listen(3000);

SEO Handling

Indexing

Pages returning 200 are eligible for indexing. This is the ideal status for content you want search engines to discover and rank.

Crawler Behavior

Crawlers will fully process the page content, follow links, and may return for recrawling based on your crawl directives.

Canonical URL Notes

Use rel='canonical' to consolidate ranking signals if you have duplicate or similar content returning 200 at multiple URLs.

Google Notes

Google treats 200 as the default success signal. Ensure your content matches user intent and provides value to maintain rankings.

Google Search Documentation →

From the Blog

Understanding HTTP 200 OK: The Success Status Code Explained
A comprehensive guide to the HTTP 200 OK status code — what it means, how it varies by HTTP method, common pitfalls, and best practices for API design.
5 min read

200 OK FAQ

What causes a 200 OK error?

Successful GET request returning data. Successful POST request completing action. Any successful HTTP operation.

// Express.js app.get('/example', (req, res) => { res.status(200).json({ error: 'OK', message: 'Your error message here' }); }); // Native HTTP const http = require('http'); http.createServer((req, res) => { res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }); res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'OK', message: 'Your error message here' })); }).listen(3000);