How to Use This Status Checker
- Enter any URL in the input field (e.g., example.com or https://example.com)
- Choose the HTTP method (HEAD is fastest for checking, GET retrieves content)
- Click "Check Status" or press Enter
- View the status code, response time, and detailed explanation
- Explore response headers, redirects, and SSL information
What Are HTTP Status Codes?
HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers returned by web servers to indicate the result of a client's request. They're essential for debugging web applications, monitoring APIs, and understanding why websites might not be working correctly.
2xx - Success
Request succeeded. The server found and returned the requested resource.
3xx - Redirection
Resource has moved. Client needs to follow a redirect to find the resource.
4xx - Client Error
Problem with the request. URL not found, authentication required, or bad request format.
5xx - Server Error
Server failed to fulfill valid request. Internal error, service unavailable, or timeout.
Common Status Code Issues & Solutions
| Problem | Likely Status | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Page not found | 404 | Check URL spelling, look for redirects |
| Authentication failed | 401 | Verify credentials, refresh token |
| Access forbidden | 403 | Check permissions, verify IP not blocked |
| Server error | 500 | Check server logs, contact administrator |
| Too many requests | 429 | Wait before retrying, implement backoff |
What This Checker Actually Does (and Does Not)
The request runs from our server, not your browser, so it sees what the internet sees rather than what your own DNS cache, VPN, or proxy sees. It follows up to 10 redirect hops by hand and reports every one of them, not just the final code, and it re-checks each redirect target so a URL cannot be used to reach an internal or private network address partway through a chain. Cookies, authorization headers, and API keys are stripped out of the response before anything reaches your browser.
It does not validate an SSL certificate. The SSL indicator only reflects whether the final URL after redirects uses https, so a site with an expired or mismatched certificate that still answers over https reads as SSL: yes here. It does not retry a slow or failing server either: one request, a 10 second timeout, and if nothing answers in that window the check fails with a timeout error rather than a status code. The HTTP protocol version usually shows as "unknown" too, since almost no server actually sends the header that would let fetch report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a status code checker actually show me?
The three-digit code a server returned for one request, made from our server rather than your browser: the status text, how long it took to answer, every header that came back with cookies and auth tokens removed, and the full chain of redirects if there was one. It does not tell you whether the page rendered correctly or whether an API response body was valid, only whether the server answered and with what code.
How do I choose the right status code checker for what I'm debugging?
For a one-off check while debugging, a free browser tool like this one is enough: paste the URL, pick a method, read the code and headers. For checking the same URL every few minutes and getting alerted when it changes, that is scheduled uptime monitoring, a different job this page does not do, and one the bulk checker below cannot substitute for either since it still runs on demand rather than on a schedule.
Does this tool validate my SSL certificate?
No. The SSL indicator only reflects whether the final URL after redirects uses https, not whether the certificate is valid, expired, or trusted. A site with a broken certificate that still answers over https will show as SSL: yes here. Use a dedicated SSL checker for certificate validity, expiry, and chain issues.
Why did my check fail instead of returning a status code?
Three separate causes get collapsed into an error message rather than a status code: the request timed out after 10 seconds with no response, the hostname would not resolve, or the connection was refused. Each of those means nothing came back to report a code for, which is different from a server actively answering with an error code like 500.
Can I check more than one URL at a time?
Yes, with the bulk checker below the main input, unlike some single-URL checkers. It runs the same on-demand check against a list of URLs rather than one at a time by hand, but it is still a manual run, not a schedule.
Are my request headers, cookies, or auth tokens stored anywhere?
Cookies, authorization headers, and API keys are stripped from the response before it reaches your browser, so they are never displayed or saved. Check history is kept only in your own browser's local storage, never sent to us.