What is a 200 status code?

The 200 status code indicates a successful HTTP request where the server properly received, understood, and fulfilled your request. When web scraping, receiving a 200 status code means the server returned a response, but it doesn’t guarantee the content you want is actually there. Always validate the response content beyond just checking for 200, as servers often return 200 for error pages, CAPTCHA challenges, or empty results.

The 200 status code, formally written as “200 OK,” is an HTTP response status code that signals successful completion of a request. When your scraper or application sends an HTTP request to a server, the 200 code confirms the server received the request, processed it without errors, and returned the requested resource. This code belongs to the 2xx class of HTTP status codes, which represents successful responses. Web scraping APIs and custom scrapers both rely on status codes to determine request success.

The meaning and content of a 200 response changes based on which HTTP method triggered it. GET requests return the requested resource in the response body, such as HTML content, JSON data, or file downloads. POST requests receive a 200 when an action succeeds, with the response body describing the result of the operation.

HEAD requests return a 200 with headers identical to GET but without any response body. PUT and DELETE operations can return 200, though servers more commonly use 201 Created for successful resource creation or 204 No Content for successful deletion.

Web scraping requires checking beyond the status code alone. Websites frequently return 200 status codes for pages that don’t contain your target data. A server might return 200 for a CAPTCHA challenge page, a “access denied” message, a login form blocking content, or search results showing zero matches.

Anti-bot systems exploit this behavior intentionally. Rather than blocking requests with 403 Forbidden codes that clearly signal detection, sophisticated sites return 200 with HTML that appears normal to basic scrapers but contains no actual data. This forces scrapers to validate response content, not just status codes.

Rate-limited responses often come back as 200 with messages like “Please slow down” embedded in otherwise valid HTML. Scrapers checking only the status code miss these soft blocks and continue making requests against rate limits.

Successful scraping requires layered validation. Start by checking the status code equals 200, then verify the response contains expected content markers. Look for specific HTML elements, text patterns, or data structures that indicate real content versus error pages.

Content length checks catch obviously wrong responses. If product pages typically return 50KB but you receive 2KB with a 200 code, that signals a problem. Similarly, checking for specific CSS selectors or text patterns confirms you received the actual target page.

Search results pages return 200 even when finding zero matches. The page structure exists and loads correctly, but contains no data. Scrapers must check result counts or verify item containers hold actual content before processing.

Dynamic content loaded via JavaScript often returns initial 200 responses with placeholder HTML. The server successfully delivered the page, but JavaScript rendering hasn’t populated the data yet. Basic HTTP requests see 200 codes but miss the actual content.

Pagination edge cases return 200 for requests beyond the last page. Instead of 404 errors, servers often return valid 200 responses showing empty result sets or redirecting to the last valid page. Scrapers checking only status codes continue requesting non-existent pages indefinitely.

The 200 status code signals successful HTTP request completion, indicating the server processed your request and returned a response. Different HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) produce 200 responses with varying meanings and content structures. The code confirms technical success but doesn’t validate response content quality.

Web scraping requires validating responses beyond status codes alone. Servers return 200 for CAPTCHA pages, empty search results, anti-bot messages, and rate limit warnings. Effective scrapers combine status code checks with content validation, including length verification and confirming expected HTML elements exist. This layered approach catches edge cases where 200 codes mask missing or blocked content.

Learn more: MDN Web Docs on 200 OK