416 Range Not Satisfiable
The byte range the client asked for lies outside the size of the resource.
What it means
HTTP 416 Range Not Satisfiable means the request included a Range header asking for a portion of the resource that does not exist — for example, bytes starting beyond the end of the file. The server cannot return the requested slice because there is nothing there to return.
When it happens
It happens with resumable downloads and media streaming, when a client asks to resume from an offset larger than the current file, or when a stale client assumes a file is bigger than it actually is.
How to fix it
- Request a byte range that falls within the resource's actual length.
- Re-check the resource size (via a Content-Length or a fresh request) before issuing a ranged request.
- For a download manager, restart the download if the cached size is stale.
SEO impact
None for normal pages. Range requests are used for partial downloads, not for the full-page fetches crawlers perform.
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Related codes
The server could not understand the request due to malformed syntax.
401 UnauthorizedAuthentication is required and has failed or not been provided.
402 Payment RequiredA largely reserved code intended for payment-gated access to a resource.
403 ForbiddenThe server understood the request but refuses to authorize it.
404 Not FoundThe server could not find the requested resource.
405 Method Not AllowedThe HTTP method used is not supported for the requested resource.
Related guides
A plain-English primer on HTTP status codes for SEOs: what the 2xx, 3xx, 4xx, and 5xx families mean, which ones affect rankings, and the codes worth knowing.
How to find and fix broken linksA practical walkthrough for finding broken links on your site, working out why each one breaks, and fixing them so visitors and crawlers stop hitting dead ends.