What do HTTP 200, 201, and 204 mean on a REST API?
PICTURE THIS: 1, 2, 2, 8
Simple meaning
200 OK means the request succeeded and usually includes a body.
WHY — HTTP instead of guessing?
Why interviewers care about HTTP:
who only read docs from people who shipped.
and tied to Backend work.
Name the idea, why it exists, then one short example.
End with when you use it and one common pitfall.
STEPS — What happens step by step?
Before you speak the answer, walk the interviewer through these steps:
- 1200 OK means the
request succeeded and usually includes a body.
- 2201 Created means a
new resource exists
- 3How it works
return a Location header.
- 4204 No Content means
success with an empty body, common after DELETE or an update that returns nothing.
- 5Common mistake
What juniors usually get wrong.
- 6Close
When you pick this over the alternative.
EXAMPLE — See it in action
Here's a short line you can speak, broken into clear beats:
Note: Adapt this scaffold to your own project — keep it under 60–90 seconds.
Key takeaway
200 OK means the request succeeded and usually includes a body. 201 Created means a new resource exists