HTTP Status Code 416 – Range Not Satisfiable

The HTTP status code 416 Range Not Satisfiable indicates that the server cannot fulfill the request for a range specified in the Range header field. This usually happens when the requested range does not match the available data for the requested resource.

Examples

Example 1: Range Exceeds Available Data

Suppose you have a file that is 1000 bytes in size, and a client requests a byte range that starts beyond the size of the file:

GET /example-file.txt HTTP/1.1
Host: www.example.com
Range: bytes=1500-2000

In this case, the server will respond with:

HTTP/1.1 416 Range Not Satisfiable
Content-Range: */1000

The Content-Range header indicates that the total size of the resource is 1000 bytes, and the requested range is invalid.

Example 2: Invalid Range Syntax

If a client requests a range with an invalid or malformed syntax, such as a negative range:

GET /example-file.txt HTTP/1.1
Host: www.example.com
Range: bytes=-100

The server will respond with:

HTTP/1.1 416 Range Not Satisfiable
Content-Range: */1000

Again, the Content-Range header clarifies the total size of the file, but the requested range is not satisfiable due to incorrect syntax.

This HTML block provides a comprehensive explanation of the HTTP status code 416 – Range Not Satisfiable. It includes a description of what the status code means, examples of situations where it might be encountered, and a summary to ensure understanding.

Example 1: Example Scenario

# Client sends a request example.
GET /example HTTP/1.1
Host: www.example.com

# Server Response
HTTP/1.1 416 416 Range Not Satisfiable
Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:05:13 GMT
Server: ExampleServer/1.0
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "error": "Description of the error for 416"
}

Example 2: A Different Scenario

# Client sends another example request.
POST /another-example HTTP/1.1
Host: www.example.com

# Server Response
HTTP/1.1 416 416 Range Not Satisfiable
Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:05:13 GMT
Server: ExampleServer/1.0
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "error": "Detailed message for 416"
}

Summary

The 416 Range Not Satisfiable status code is used by servers to indicate that they cannot process the requested range from a client due to it being outside the bounds of the available data or due to a malformed range request. Clients should ensure their range requests are within the size of the resource and correctly formatted to avoid this error.