HTTP 200 OK

The server successfully processed the request and is returning the data you asked for. This is the standard response code for a successful HTTP request, whether it is a GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE operation.

What Is HTTP 200 OK?

HTTP 200 OK is the standard response status code indicating that a request has been successfully received, understood, and processed by the server. It is by far the most common HTTP status code on the web. Every time you load a webpage, fetch data from an API, or submit a form without errors, the server responds with a 200 status code along with the requested content in the response body.

The exact meaning of a 200 response depends on the HTTP method used. For GET requests, 200 means the resource was found and its representation is included in the body. For POST requests, it means the action described by the request was carried out and the result is included. For DELETE requests, it indicates the resource was successfully removed and a confirmation message is returned. PUT and PATCH operations return 200 when the update was applied and the updated resource representation is sent back.

While 200 is universally understood as a success indicator at the HTTP protocol level, developers should be aware that some APIs embed application-level errors inside a 200 response body. This anti-pattern makes error handling harder because clients must parse the body to detect failures rather than relying on the status code alone. Well-designed APIs use the appropriate 4xx or 5xx codes instead.

Common Causes

Successful GET Request

The server found the requested resource and is sending it back in the response body. This is the most common scenario for a 200 response.

Successful Form Submission

A POST request carrying form data was processed without errors. The server returns 200 along with a confirmation payload or the created resource.

Successful API Call

A REST API endpoint processed the request and returned the expected data. The response body typically contains JSON or XML with the results.

Cached Content Served

A reverse proxy or CDN served a cached copy of the resource. The response is still 200, but an Age header indicates how long the content has been cached.

How to Fix

No Fix Needed

HTTP 200 indicates everything worked correctly. If you are debugging an issue despite receiving 200, check the response body for application-level errors embedded in the payload.

Verify Response Body

Some APIs return 200 even for logical errors. Inspect the JSON body for error fields or unexpected null values that indicate a problem at the application layer.

Check Content-Type Header

Ensure the Content-Type header matches what your client expects. A 200 with an HTML body when you expected JSON can cause parsing failures in your frontend code.

Validate Against Schema

Use JSON Schema validation to ensure the 200 response payload matches the expected structure. This catches subtle API contract violations early in development.

Code Examples

Express.js

// Express.js — return 200 with JSON data
app.get('/api/users/:id', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const user = await User.findById(req.params.id);
    if (!user) {
      return res.status(404).json({ error: 'User not found' });
    }
    // 200 is the default status, but being explicit is clearer
    res.status(200).json({
      id: user.id,
      name: user.name,
      email: user.email
    });
  } catch (err) {
    res.status(500).json({ error: 'Internal server error' });
  }
});

Flask (Python)

# Flask — return 200 with JSON data
from flask import Flask, jsonify

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/api/users/<int:user_id>', methods=['GET'])
def get_user(user_id):
    user = User.query.get(user_id)
    if user is None:
        return jsonify(error='User not found'), 404
    # 200 is the default status code in Flask
    return jsonify(
        id=user.id,
        name=user.name,
        email=user.email
    ), 200

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HTTP 200 the same as HTTP 201?

No. HTTP 200 means the request succeeded and the server is returning existing data. HTTP 201 specifically means a new resource was created as a result of the request. Use 201 for POST endpoints that create new records, and 200 for GET requests or updates that return existing data.

Can a 200 response contain an error?

At the HTTP protocol level, 200 always means success. However, some APIs embed application-level errors in the response body while still returning 200. This is considered an anti-pattern. Well-designed APIs use 4xx and 5xx status codes for error conditions.

Should I explicitly set status 200 in my code?

Most frameworks default to 200, so it is technically optional. However, explicitly setting res.status(200) makes your code more readable and signals intent clearly to other developers reading your codebase.

Does HTTP 200 affect SEO?

Yes. Search engine crawlers expect 200 responses for pages that should be indexed. If a page returns 200, Googlebot treats it as valid content. Pages that should not be indexed should return 404 or 410 instead of 200 with a noindex tag.

What is the difference between 200 and 204?

HTTP 200 includes a response body with data, while 204 No Content indicates success but the server has no body to send. Use 204 for DELETE operations or PUT updates where returning the data is unnecessary.