Which status code is returned when the requested resource cannot be found?

Which status code is returned when the requested resource cannot be found?

• A. 400 - Bad Request
• B. 401 - Unauthorized
• C. 403 - Forbidden
• D. 404 - Not Found

Answer: (D)

When a server can’t locate the resource at the requested URL, it returns the Not Found status. This signals that the path is understood, but the content isn’t present at that location—perhaps the item was moved, deleted, or the URL was mistyped. It’s different from a bad request, which means the request itself is malformed; from unauthorized, which means authentication is required; and from forbidden, which means authentication succeeded but access is not allowed. Not Found is the standard response when the resource simply isn’t present at the specified path.

When a server can’t locate the resource at the requested URL, it returns the Not Found status. This signals that the path is understood, but the content isn’t present at that location—perhaps the item was moved, deleted, or the URL was mistyped. It’s different from a bad request, which means the request itself is malformed; from unauthorized, which means authentication is required; and from forbidden, which means authentication succeeded but access is not allowed. Not Found is the standard response when the resource simply isn’t present at the specified path.