As it seems, web developers and coding experts know how to make smart jokes. One of the most prominent examples of this is the so-called Error 418 I Am a Teapot. Maybe you have already seen such an error message across the web, or maybe you heard about it from somewhere else.
I Am a Teapot status code is not at all prevalent in the world of websites and the Internet but has retained its status as a good joke in the technical field of web development.
In the following paragraphs, you will read more about Error 418 I am a Teapot message.
What is Error 418 I Am a Teapot
Error 418 is an HTTP status code that indicates the server refuses to brew coffee because it is a teapot. This error message is a reference to the satirical Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol that controls, monitors, and diagnoses all coffee pots that are connected to the Internet.
This protocol, along with the error message, was launched as an April Fool’s joke in 1998.
How to Use Error 418 I Am a Teapot
Error 418 is a part of the 4xx status codes, indicating that there should be a problem on the client side somewhere within the communication between a client and a server. Similar status codes include:
- Error 400 Bad Request
- Error 401 Unauthorized
- Error 402 Payment Required
- Error 403 Forbidden
- Error 405 Method Not Allowed
- Error 406 Not Acceptable
- Error 408 Request Timeout
- Error 409 Conflict
Because it is intended as a joke, I Am a Teapot error doesn’t really indicate that there’s some real issue.
However, although intended to be a joke, the 418 Error code might be used on websites, but on very rare and very specific occasions.
For example, if you have access to server settings, you can make a setup that prompts I Am a Teapot message when a client request is being denied, despite using 403 Forbidden response in such a case seems more conventional.
In another example, you can use the Error 418 message to signify an unconventional issue that doesn’t fit into the rest of the HTTP status codes while working on your website.
Or, you can use the 418 Error message just as it was originally intended to be used – to deliver a bit of humor to you and other webmasters and web developers.
Conclusion
418 Error is a client-side HTTP response code, indicating that the server can’t brew coffee, because it is a teapot. This response code was created as a part of an April Fool’s joke, aiming to bring humor to the technical field of web development and site-building.
However, the error message can still be used in very specific situations that otherwise cannot be described precisely by the rest of the HTTP response codes.
