Http error: 416 – Requested Range Not Satisfiable

The 416 status code, or Requested Range Not Satisfiable error, indicates that the server cannot satisfy the request because the requested range is not valid. This error is most often caused by an invalid or missing Range header. 

The 416 status code is relevant in SEO because it can cause pages to be erroneously excluded from search engine indexing. This often happens when a search engine bot requests a page from a server, but the server responds with a 416 error because the requested range is invalid. As a result, the search engine may think that the page does not exist and will not index it. 

The best way to prevent this from happening is to make sure that your server is configured to return a 404 status code instead of a 416 status code for pages that do not exist. You can do this by setting the “server.error-pages” property in your server’s configuration file. 

For more information about the 416 status code, please see RFC 7231, section 6.5.14.

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Imran Selimkhanov

Imran is the founder and CEO of Productive Shop. He writes on B2B demand generation and SEO strategy topics to help startups understand how to win digital share of voice. Prior to Productive Shop, Imran led demand generation at an Oracle consultancy, ran an e-commerce site servicing LE teams and helped build PMO offices at technology startup companies. When he’s not at work, Imran can be spotted hiking in the Rockies, honing his clay shooting skills and tumbling off of black diamond ski tracks due to overconfidence in his skiing abilities.