204 Status Code – What It Means & When to Use It
204 Status Code – What It Means & When to Use It
Ever run into the 204 HTTP status code and wondered what it actually means?
In web development, 204 is a common yet often misunderstood response code. It tells the browser or client, “The request was successful, but there’s no content to return.”
Let’s break it down clearly so you know when and how to use a 204 response code in your apps or APIs.
What Is a 204 Status Code?
The 204 status code is an official HTTP response code that stands for:
204 No Content – The server has successfully fulfilled the request, but there is no content to send in the response.
In simple terms:
✅ The request went through successfully
🚫 But the server doesn’t return any content in the body
This response is most useful when you want to signal success without loading or sending data back to the browser or user interface.
When to Use a 204 HTTP Response
Here are a few common use cases where the success code without body status code is the perfect choice:
✅ 1. DELETE Requests in REST APIs
When a client deletes a resource and the server needs to confirm the action succeeded—but has no extra data to return.
✅ 2. Form Submissions Without Page Reload
If a form is submitted via JavaScript (AJAX), and the backend processes it successfully, a lightweight status code response prevents reloading or redirecting the page.
✅ 3. Ping/Heartbeat APIs
When checking if a service or endpoint is alive, a successful response with no content response can confirm it without sending unnecessary data.
204 vs 200: What’s the Difference?
While both indicate success, they serve different purposes:
| Code | Meaning | Returns Content? |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | OK | ✅ Yes |
| 204 | No Content | ❌ No |
Use 200 when you have data to return. Use non-returning HTTP response when success alone is enough.
What Happens in the Browser?
When a 204 response is received:
- The browser won’t reload or redirect
- No content is rendered or replaced
- JavaScript can still handle the response (e.g., for updating the UI)
That makes it ideal for lightweight, fast interactions in modern web apps.
When Not to Use 204
Avoid using a No Content response code if:
- The response should include data or HTML
- You want to trigger a page update or redirect
- The client expects a JSON or XML response
In these cases, use 200 or another appropriate response code instead.
Final Thoughts
The 204 status code might seem minor, but it plays a major role in making modern apps smooth and responsive. It helps reduce unnecessary data transfer while still confirming success.
👉 Need help optimizing your API responses or building scalable backends? Talk to the experts at JarinTech today.
