400

“HTTP Error 400 – Bad Request”

How To Fix the 400 Bad Request Error

  1. Check for errors in the URL. The most common reason for a 400 Bad Request error is because the URL was typed wrong or the link that was clicked on points to a URL with a specific kind of mistake in it, like a syntax problem.Important: This is most likely the problem if you get a 400 Bad Request error. Specifically, check for extra, typically non-allowed, characters in the URL like a percentage character. While there are perfectly valid uses for something like a % character, you won’t often find one in a standard URL.
  2. Clear your browser’s cookies, especially if you’re getting a Bad Request error with a Google service. Many sites report a 400 error when a cookie it’s reading is corrupt or too old.
  3. Clear your DNS cache, which should fix the 400 Bad Request error if it’s being caused by outdated DNS records that your computer is storing. Do this in Windows by executing ipconfig /flushdns from a Command Prompt window.Important: This is not the same as clearing your browser’s cache (next thing to try below).
  4. Clear your browser’s cache. A cached, but corrupt copy of the web page you’re trying to access, but are getting the 400 error on, could be the root of the problem. Clearing your cache is unlikely the fix for the majority of 400 bad Request issues, but it’s quick and easy, and so worth trying.
  5. While this is not a common fix, try troubleshooting the problem as a 504 Gateway Timeout issue instead, even though the problem is being reported as a 400 Bad Request.In some relatively rare situations, two servers may take too long to communicate (a gateway timeout issue) but will incorrectly, or at least unhelpfully, report the problem to you as a 400 Bad Request.
  6. Contact the website directly that hosts the page. It’s possible that the 400 Bad Request error actually isn’t anything wrong on your end and it’s something they need to fix, in which case letting them know about it would be very helpful.Tip: If an entire site is down with a 400 Bad Request error, searching Twitter for #websitedown, as in #facebookdown or #gmaildown is often helpful. It certainly won’t contribute anything to fixing the issue, but at least you’ll know you’re not alone!
  1. If nothing above has worked, and you’re sure the problem isn’t with your computer, you’re left with just checking back later.Since the problem isn’t yours to fix, revisit the page or site regularly until it’s back up.