Some server responses you don't notice. No error message, no pop-up, no new page. And yet everything went right. That is exactly what happens at the 204 status code: the server has understood and processed your request, but has nothing to return.
In this article, we explain what 204 status means, when to deal with it, how to recognize it and how it compares to the familiar 200 status code.
What is the 204 status code?
The 204 status means that the request was processed successfully, but the server deliberately did not return any content. No HTML, no JSON, no notification. So the browser does not need to refresh or update the page because nothing has changed in the display.
The official specification states: the server does not have to report anything and the client does not have to do anything.
Where do you see a 204 in practice?
You don't encounter this status when you just open a web page. It takes place in the background, for example:
- Turning a setting on or off via an API
- Sending a form that saves something, without visual confirmation
- An AJAX request that processes something but does not return new data
In this type of action, the message is simple: "I understood and carried out your request, but I have nothing to give back."
What is the difference between status code 204 and 200?
Both codes indicate that the request was processed successfully. Yet there is an important difference in behavior and intent.
A 200 status code means: everything worked out, and here is the content you requested. The server usually returns an HTML page, JSON, or some other type of data.
A 204 status code says: everything succeeded, but I intentionally return nothing. There is no body, no content, just a silent confirmation that the request has been processed.
So you use 204 in situations where the result does not need to be visible. 200 is the default response for a normal page view or API response with data. 204 is for actions where no new information needs to be shown, such as toggles or silent updates.
How do you check if your site returns a 204?
There are several ways to check this, depending on how you work.
Screaming Frog lets you see exactly what status codes are returned when crawling your site. Also in Ahrefs and SEMrush you can see this reflected in their site audits. Want to take a quicker look at what an individual page is doing? With the Chrome extension Redirect Path immediately see what HTTP status code is returned when a page or API call is opened.
How do you recognize a 204 in tools?
You don't see it in your browser, but tools make it visible. In Postman or Insomnia, the answer at the top says 204 No Content. With curl in your terminal, you see the same thing, but with no further content.
If you open the developer tools in your browser (F12, Network tab), you will see the 204 code in the column Status on a request that returns this response. There is no body and also no output, but that is exactly the intention.
Why is this status useful?
The 204 status is efficient. Nothing unnecessary is sent. For small, quick actions - think toggles, likes, changing preferences - it's ideal. The server confirms that everything is working, without having to send data back and forth.
For developers, this is a way to be neater and more aware of responses. You're saying, as it were, "This is handled, but I'm keeping traffic clean."
Summary
The 204 status code means that the request has been executed, but no data is deliberately returned. Ideal for invisible or quick operations where the interface does not need to change.
The difference with status code 200: 200 returns data (such as a page or JSON), 204 does not.
Are you working with interactive interfaces, REST APIs or headless applications? Then it's useful to deploy this code in the right places. And with a hosting environment that is fast and stable, like Surver's, you can be sure that even these silent responses will arrive properly.
