HTTP status codes are short responses from a web server that explain what happened to a request. You do not need to memorise all of them, but a few are useful when troubleshooting hosting issues.
200 OK
The request worked. If a page returns 200, the server delivered a normal response.
301 and 302 Redirects
A 301 is a permanent redirect. A 302 is temporary. Use 301 redirects for changed URLs you want search engines and visitors to treat as moved permanently.
403 Forbidden
The server understood the request but refuses access. This can be caused by permissions, security rules, missing index files, or blocked IP addresses.
404 Not Found
The requested URL does not exist at that path. Check permalinks, rewrite rules, file paths, and whether the URL changed.
500 Errors
A 500-series response usually means the server or application hit an error. Check error logs, recent code changes, plugin updates, and PHP compatibility.
Status codes are clues, not final answers. Pair them with logs and recent change history.
