HTTP 200 Response Code
The HTTP 200 response code is a standard status code that tells browsers and search engines that a web request was successful. When a user (or a bot like Googlebot) requests a page and everything works correctly, the server returns a 200 OK status — meaning the content has been delivered as expected.
In simple terms, it’s a message from the server saying:
✅ "Everything is working fine — here’s the page you asked for."
What is an HTTP status code?
HTTP status codes are 3-digit numbers that web servers use to respond to requests made by browsers or bots. They indicate whether the request was successful, redirected, resulted in an error, or was blocked.
Status codes are grouped into categories:
- 1xx – Informational
- 2xx – Success
- 3xx – Redirection
- 4xx – Client error
- 5xx – Server error
The 200 code belongs to the 2xx success group.
What does “200 OK” mean?
- The client (browser or bot) made a valid request.
- The server successfully processed the request.
- The requested page or resource is available and was returned.
You typically see a 200 OK response behind the scenes — browsers don’t display it to users. However, it’s visible in developer tools, SEO crawlers, and server logs.
Why HTTP 200 is important for SEO
- Indexing: Pages that return a 200 status can be crawled and indexed by search engines.
- User experience: A 200 response ensures users are served content without errors.
- Site health monitoring: It confirms that a page is live and accessible.
When auditing a website, SEO tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console will check which URLs return 200 OK — indicating healthy, indexable pages.
When to expect a 200 response
- Loading a working webpage
- Accessing a static resource (e.g., images, CSS, JavaScript)
- Clicking on valid internal links
- Submitting forms that return data or confirmation
Common mistakes
- Returning 200 status codes for error pages (e.g., a 404 page that technically returns a 200 code) — this can confuse users and search engines.
- Returning a 200 code for soft 404s — pages that say “not found” in the content but don’t send a proper 404 status.
How to check if a page returns 200
- Browser Developer Tools → Network tab
- Online tools like httpstatus.io
- SEO crawlers and site audit tools
- Server logs for bot requests
In summary, the HTTP 200 response code is a signal that a webpage has successfully loaded and is functioning correctly. It’s essential for both SEO performance and user experience, ensuring that content is delivered smoothly to users and search engines.