Error codes, for instance the HTTP error 400 Bad Request, are an inherent part of the online browsing experience, but this doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about it – in fact, there are quite a few things you can try when this particular code pops up.
Indeed, to better understand the problem, let’s see what the HTTP error 400 Bad Request is, how it happens, and what you can do about it.
What is an HTTP error 400?
Specifically, error 400 is the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) status code, which indicates that the server can’t or won’t process the request due to something related to the client side (like a malformed request syntax, invalid request message framing, or deceptive request routing).
This error code might show up in different forms depending on the website visited, and its usual variations include:
- HTTP Error 400
- HTTP Error 400 – Bad Request
- HTTP Status 400 – Bad Request
- HTTP Error 400. The request hostname is invalid
- 400 Bad Request
- 400 Bad Request. Request Header Or Cookie Too Large
- Bad Request – Error 400
- Bad Request – Invalid URL
Why does an HTTP error 400 happen?
There are multiple culprits for the HTTP Error ‘400 Bad Request’ to happen, and the most common of them relate to a local problem from your device or browser or, more unlikely, a misconfiguration on the website’s server.
They include expired cookies, syntax errors in the URL, corrupted or outdated cache from your browser, browser extensions and plugins interfering with the connection, file-size limits when uploading a file, unsynchronized DNS cache from your device, or a server-related error.
How to fix an HTTP error 400?
Here are some things you can try:
- Checking the submitted URL: A spelling mistake or a misplaced forward slash or dash could be causing the error, so review the URL to make sure there aren’t any such mistakes.
- Clearing browser cache or cookies: You may also resolve the error code by clearing your cache and deleting cookies, be it all of them or just those related to the website.
- Turning off browser extensions: In some cases, your browser extensions can interfere with website cookies, so try disabling them temporarily.
- Flushing the DNS cache: Sometimes, it’s the unsynchronized local DNS cache from your device that’s causing the problem, so run your Command Prompt as Administrator and enter ‘ipconfig/flushdns’.
- Checking the file size: If the file you’re trying to upload exceeds the server file size limit, thus causing the 400 Bad Request error, try uploading a smaller file first.
- Checking your internet connection: In case your connection is spotty, consider switching it to a different network or restarting your router (and/or PC).
- Contacting the website administrator: Reach out to the website’s administrators, through contact information offered on the website’s main header or a dedicated contact page. They might not even know there’s a problem.
Conclusion
All things considered, there are some common reasons why a particular web page is showing the HTTP 400 message. The problem might be on the side of the website, but this is rare. More often, it’s on the visitor’s side so being aware of it will help you address it and possibly prevent further issues.
Meanwhile, if you’re seeing other internet error codes, such as the 403 forbidden error on Google Chrome, the 404 ‘not found’ message, the 500 internal server problem, the HTTP error 503, or the 504 gateway timeout issue, consult our guides.
