Free HTTP Status Code Checker
Check what status code a URL returns, what it means, and which headers come with it — including the X-Robots-Tag that quietly controls indexing.
The page is fetched once and nothing is stored. Sites that block automated requests may not respond.
How to use this tool
- Paste the URL you want to check.
- Read the status code and its explanation.
- Check the headers for an X-Robots-Tag, which overrides nothing but is easily missed.
What is HTTP Status Checker?
The status code is the first thing any crawler learns about a URL, and it determines everything that follows. A page returning 404 will be dropped; one returning 500 repeatedly will be dropped more slowly but just as surely.
The most useful thing here is often the headers rather than the code. An X-Robots-Tag: noindex sent at the HTTP level is invisible in the page source, and pages disappear from search for weeks before anyone finds it.
Best practices
- Use 301 for permanent moves, 302 only for genuinely temporary ones.
- Return 404 or 410 for pages that are gone — do not redirect everything to the homepage.
- Serve 200 for pages you want indexed; nothing else counts.
- Check headers after any CDN or server configuration change.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 301 and 302?
A 301 says the move is permanent, so search engines update their index and pass the old URL’s signals to the new one. A 302 says it is temporary, so they keep the old URL. Using 302 for a permanent move is one of the most common migration mistakes.
Is 404 bad for SEO?
Not in itself. Pages get removed and 404 is the correct answer. It becomes a problem when pages that should exist return 404, or when many internal links point at them. Redirecting every 404 to the homepage is worse than the 404.
What does 410 mean?
Gone — the page was deliberately removed and will not return. Google treats it much like a 404 but tends to drop the URL faster.
Related tools
Want this done properly on your site?
These tools handle the checks. If you would rather someone did the work — the audit, the fixes and the content — that is what I do.
Results are provided for informational purposes and may vary depending on the website, browser, network and available data.