HTTP 200 OK: What It Means and When You See It
Quick Answer
HTTP 200 OK is the standard success response. The request has succeeded and the server has returned the requested resource in the response body.
What HTTP 200 Returns
HTTP 200 OK is the standard success response for GET requests. The response body contains the requested resource. For POST requests that do not create a resource (such as a search or login), 200 is also correct. The response body format is set by Content-Type: application/json for APIs, text/html for web pages. 200 is cacheable by default when paired with appropriate Cache-Control headers.
When to Use 200 vs Other 2xx Codes
Use 200 for successful reads (GET) and non-creating operations. Use 201 when a POST request creates a new resource. Use 204 when the operation succeeds but there is no body to return (DELETE, PUT with no response). Using 200 for all success cases works but loses semantic precision. REST APIs that always return 200 with an internal status field make debugging harder.
HTTP 200 in Code
Express.js: res.json(data) sends 200 by default. res.status(200).json(data) is explicit. FastAPI: return data returns 200 automatically. curl: curl https://api.example.com/users - a successful response shows HTTP/2 200 in the headers. In fetch(): const res = await fetch(url); if (res.ok) { /* status 200-299 */ }. The ok property covers all 2xx responses, not just 200.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Related Values
100
HTTP 100 Continue means the server has received the request headers and the client should proceed to send the request body. It is an interim response used to inform the client to continue.
101
HTTP 101 Switching Protocols indicates the server is switching to the protocol specified in the Upgrade header field. Commonly used when upgrading to WebSocket connections.
201
HTTP 201 Created means the request succeeded and a new resource was created as a result. The Location header typically points to the new resource URL.
204
HTTP 204 No Content means the server successfully processed the request but is not returning any content. Common for DELETE requests or form submissions.