HTTP Status Codes: 200, 301, 302, and 500 (Explained)
Status codes tell you what happened when someone tried to load your site. They also reveal redirect problems and server failures.
Every time a browser requests a page, your server replies with a status code.
A status code is a short number that tells you what happened.
The most common ones
200 (OK)
This means success. The page loaded normally.
301 (Moved Permanently)
This means the page permanently redirects to another URL.
A redirect is when one URL sends the visitor to another.
302 (Found / Temporary Redirect)
This means a temporary redirect. It may be used during maintenance or testing.
500 (Server Error)
This means something went wrong on the server.
A 500 error can be caused by:
- misconfigured server rules
- application exceptions
- missing files or permissions
Why status codes matter
Status codes matter for:
- SEO (search engines treat redirects differently)
- user experience (errors break trust)
- diagnosing changes (did something break after an update?)
How SafeSiteScan uses them
SafeSiteScan records the status code and follows redirects to learn what your visitors experience.
If a site suddenly starts returning 500 errors, you’ll want to know quickly.
If a site has multiple redirects, you may want to simplify them.
Status codes don’t just tell you “up or down.” They tell you the story of how your site behaves.