What Is a 414 Status Code?

The server is refusing to service the request because the request-target¹ is longer than the server is willing to interpret.

This rare condition is only likely to occur when a client has improperly converted a POST request to a GET request with long query information, when the client has descended into a “black hole” of redirection (e.g., a redirected URI prefix that points to a suffix of itself) or when the server is under attack by a client attempting to exploit potential security holes.

A 414 response is cacheable by default; i.e., unless otherwise indicated by the method definition or explicit cache controls².

• ¹ Content Negotiation RFC7230 Section 5.3
• ² Calculating Heuristic Freshness RFC7234 Section 4.2.2]3
• Source: RFC7231 Section 6.5.12

414 CODE REFERENCES

Rails HTTP Status Symbol :request_uri_too_long

Go HTTP Status Constant http.StatusRequestURITooLong

Symfony HTTP Status Constant Response::HTTP_REQUEST_URI_TOO_LONG

Python2 HTTP Status Constant httplib.REQUEST_URI_TOO_LONG

Python3+ HTTP Status Constant http.client.REQUEST_URI_TOO_LONG

Python3.5+ HTTP Status Constant http.HTTPStatus.REQUEST_URI_TOO_LONG

When is a 414 status code used?

The 414 status code is used when there is a configuration issue. This error code means that the URL is too long for the server to process and the server expects a smaller HTTP path or address.

While there is no maximum length requirement, some browsers may limit the size of HTTP paths or addresses to prevent certain attacks.

Here are a few other instances when an HTTP 414 status code is used:

• Redirect loops that result in long URLs
• Server attacks
• POST request conversions to GET requests with query information that is too long

How to fix a 414 URI Too Large error

Here’s how to fix a 414 URI Too Large error in three steps:

1. Log in to your server

Before you can work on your server, you’ll need to log in and then figure out what type of server you have. If you already know your server type, you can move on to the next step.

Here are a few tips to identify your server type:

• Look for a “htaccess” file in the root of your server — if you see one, it means you have an Apache server
• Use the Whois Domain Tools site to determine your server type
• Ask your hosting provider

2. Find the server configuration file

You’ll need to dig deep into your advanced configuration settings to find a directory that contains all of your site’s files.

You’ll want to find your “etc” folder to find your configuration file. Depending on your server type, you’ll file will look like one of the following:

• Apache: /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
• Nginx: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

3. Adjust the configuration file

Now that you’ve located your file, it’s time to adjust it to fix your HTTP 424 status code error.

First, you’ll need to open your configuration file in an editor. The next steps you take will differ depending on the server type you have.

For Apache servers, follow these steps:

1. Look for the LimitRequestLine setting or add it to the bottom of your file if it’s not there
2. Use at least 128000 for the value. If you need to go higher, keep the value to multiples of two

For Nginx servers, follow these steps:

1. Look for the large_client_header_buffers settings. You’ll see two values relating to number and size.
2. Now you can adjust the size. You can use 8K to 128K, and if you need to go bigger, keep it to a multiple of two

Once you’ve adjusted the size to the value you need, simply save your changes and upload your configuration file back to the server.

You can check your site again, and the 414 URI Too Long error should be gone.

Additional resources

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