HTTP Status Code Taxonomy: Idiomatic REST API Design

When to return 200 vs 201, 400 vs 422, and 401 Unauthorized vs 403 Forbidden.

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401 Unauthorized vs. 403 Forbidden

401 means "Authenticate yourself"; 403 means "We know who you are, but you do not have permission".

Handling Validation Failures: 422 Unprocessable

Distinguishing between malformed syntax (400) and semantic business rule violations (422).


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