The status code 201 indicates that a request was processed successfully and something new was created as a result. This is often a POST request where, for example, a form is submitted or a new object is added via an API.
Unlike status code 200, which confirms that an existing something has been retrieved, 201 shows that something new has been created. The server confirms that the request succeeded, without immediately returning additional content. You don't often see this code in the browser, but in API traffic and logs it is an important indicator of successful creation.
What is status code 201?
The http status code 201 represents Created. This means that a request succeeded and a new resource was created as a result. Consider the successful submission of a form, the creation of a new user via a REST API or the addition of an item to a database.
According to the official definition of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF):
The 201 (Created) status code indicates that the request was executed successfully and resulted in the creation of one or more new resources.
The server should ideally also provide a Location header with a 201 response, containing the URL of the newly created resource. That way, the client knows where the new item is stored.
When do you get a 201 status code?
You get a 201 status code especially with POST requests, when you send data to a server to add something. Consider:
- Registering a new account
- Posting a new blog post through a CMS
- Uploading a file
- Adding a product via an e-commerce API
In this type of action, the expectation is that something new will be created. If it is, the server returns a 201 status as confirmation.
For GET or DELETE requests, you won't encounter this status code because they don't create new resources.
How can you check status codes yourself?
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How do you recognize a 201 status code?
Most users will never see a 201 code directly, because browsers handle this type of response automatically. But developers and technical administrators can easily spot the code through tools such as:
- Letter carrier or Insomnia, when you make a POST request to an API. The status line then contains 201 Created
- curl in the command line. On a successful POST request, you see:
HTTP/1.1 201 Created - Browser DevTools: In the Network tab, you can see the Status column for each request. An API call that creates something can show the 201 code here
- Server logs or log plugins in WordPress (such as WP Activity Log) may indicate that an action produced a 201-response
Most 201 responses also contain a JSON body with details about exactly what was created. This is useful for further processing or display.
Why is status code 201 important?
The 201 status code is essential for clear communication between client and server. It is the digital equivalent of "everything worked out, your new item is ready".
For developers, it means that an API call has been processed correctly. For applications, it is confirmation that the next step can be taken, such as displaying a confirmation page or retrieving the new data.
Also in debugging and log analysis, the presence of a 201 status is a sign that your backend is responding well to POST requests and that data is being added successfully.
Summary
The 201 status code confirms that a new item or object has been successfully created. It is an important signal in applications, forms and APIs, even though you usually don't see it directly on screen.
Key points:
- Status code 201 means: source created successfully
- Usually returned with POST requests
- Commonly found in REST APIs and forms
- Identifiable via tools such as Postman, curl or browser DevTools
- Often includes a link to the new resource in the Location header
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