In the 404 NOT FOUND scenario for an invalid API endpoint, which condition yields 404?

In the 404 NOT FOUND scenario for an invalid API endpoint, which condition yields 404?

• A. Endpoint exists but method not allowed
• B. Endpoint does not exist
• C. Server error
• D. Redirect

Answer: (B)

404 Not Found is returned when the requested endpoint cannot be located at the given URL. In an API, that means the path you are calling doesn’t map to any known resource or handler on the server. This is distinct from a missing method: if the endpoint exists but doesn’t support the HTTP method you used, you’d see a 405 status. A server error (5xx) signals something went wrong on the server side, not simply that the resource is missing. A redirect (3xx) means the resource has moved to another URL. So when you hit an invalid API endpoint that doesn’t exist, the appropriate response is 404 because the requested resource cannot be found.

404 Not Found is returned when the requested endpoint cannot be located at the given URL. In an API, that means the path you are calling doesn’t map to any known resource or handler on the server. This is distinct from a missing method: if the endpoint exists but doesn’t support the HTTP method you used, you’d see a 405 status. A server error (5xx) signals something went wrong on the server side, not simply that the resource is missing. A redirect (3xx) means the resource has moved to another URL. So when you hit an invalid API endpoint that doesn’t exist, the appropriate response is 404 because the requested resource cannot be found.