Dealing with error messages on your website can be annoying and even stressful. There are numerous types of error messages that indicate a specific problem on your website.
One such is 415 Error Unsupported Media.
If you see such a message on your pages and are not sure how to get it fixed, then this article is for you.
In the following paragraphs, you will read about this specific type of error and what you can do to fix it, so your website performs flawlessly.
What is 415 Error Unsupported Media
415 Error is an HTTP status code indicating that the web server refuses a request, because the resource is in an unsupported format, or an unsupported HTTP method has been used. This unsupported format or HTTP method can be caused by the resource’s content type or content-encoding headers.
In an example, 415 Error can be prompted in the event that a client sends an XML data format, but the web server expects JSON format.
Similar 4xx error messages 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
Given the specific nature of the 415 Error code, the fixing methods require more details about the nature of content-type or content-encoding headers.
What is a Content-Type Header
Content-type headers are a type of HTTP headers that grant information about the media format of the data being sent to the server.
Simply said, content-type headers tell the server or the client what type of data is being transmitted – HTML, JSON, XML, images, audio files, or others. Content-type headers are very important because ensure that the communicating client and server can interpret correctly the transmitted information.
What is a Content-Encoding Header
Content-Encoding headers are a type of HTTP headers that gives details about the compression algorithm that compresses the data sent in an HTTP request or response.
By compressing the data, the server needs less time to process this information, which results in a better-performing website.
When the client receives the compressed data, Content-Encoding header is used to decompress the data and display it to the user in its original size.
How to Fix 415 Error Unsupported Media
There are 3 main methods you can apply to fix the 415 Error code:
Method 1: Check the Content-Type Header
Make sure that the client is sending the correct Content-Type Header value.
Method 2: Check Server Settings
Make sure that the requested server is set up to process the value in the Content-Type header.
Method 3: Check the Accept Header
Check the Accept header and make sure that the requested server can process it.
Conclusion
415 Error Unsupported Media Type indicates that the requested server is receiving a media file in an unsupported format.
