414 URI Too Long

What This Error Means

The URI requested by the client is longer than the server is willing to interpret.

URL is too long for the server to process.

Common Causes

• Excessive query parameters
• Very long URL
• Too much data in GET request

How to Fix It (For Visitors)

• Use shorter URL
• Contact website support

How to Fix It (For Developers/Admins)

• Use POST instead of GET for large data
• Reduce query parameters
• Increase LimitRequestLine (Apache)
• Use request body for large payloads

Code Examples

Here's how to return a 414 status code in various programming languages:

Python (Flask)

from flask import Flask, jsonify

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/endpoint')
def endpoint():
    return jsonify({"message": "URI Too Long"}), 414

Node.js (Express)

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/endpoint', (req, res) => {
    res.status(414).json({ message: 'URI Too Long' });
});

PHP

<?php
http_response_code(414);
header('Content-Type: application/json');
echo json_encode(['message' => 'URI Too Long']);
?>

Go

package main

import (
    "encoding/json"
    "net/http"
)

func handler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
    w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
    w.WriteHeader(414)
    json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]string{
        "message": "URI Too Long",
    })
}

Java (Spring Boot)

@GetMapping("/endpoint")
public ResponseEntity<Map<String, String>> endpoint() {
    Map<String, String> response = new HashMap<>();
    response.put("message", "URI Too Long");
    return ResponseEntity.status(414).body(response);
}

Ruby (Sinatra)

get '/endpoint' do
    status 414
    json message: 'URI Too Long'
end

Browser Compatibility

Browser	Support	Notes
Chrome	✓ Full Support	All versions
Firefox	✓ Full Support	All versions
Safari	✓ Full Support	All versions
Edge	✓ Full Support	All versions

Official Specification

This status code is defined in RFC 7231 Section 6.5.12.

View on IANA HTTP Status Code Registry →