Navigate HTTP Status Codes Like a Pro
Understand HTTP status codes inside out—download our free guide to fix issues and keep your website running smoothly.
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The 422 error code stands for “Unprocessable Entity.” It is one of the numerous 4XX HTTP status codes that identify a client-side problem when a visitor’s browser or application attempts to connect to a server.
This error appears in particular cases, primarily involving API interactions, so it’s not one of the common ones. It mainly concerns web developers utilizing API integration, so you are less likely to see it while browsing online.
This article will delve into what is 422 error code, what causes it, how to troubleshoot it, and some of the best practices for avoiding it.
Navigate HTTP Status Codes Like a Pro
Understand HTTP status codes inside out—download our free guide to fix issues and keep your website running smoothly.
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The most common cause of the error message is that the request is semantically incorrect. That means the structure of the request is syntactically correct, but the contained instructions have no meaning, and the server can’t process them.
Let’s take the following case for example. Imagine you’re trying to sign up for a new account on a website. You fill out a form with your username, email, and age.
When you hit the “Submit” button, the information you entered is sent to the website’s server. The data is in a format called XML, which is a way of structuring data, and the server will use it to create your account. Here’s what the XML data might look like when it’s sent to the server:
<user>
<username>john_doe</username>
<email>john.doe@example.com</email>
<age>twenty-five</age>
</user>
However, some of the input data in the XML request body does not meet the server’s criteria.
Since the server can’t use the user input to create your new account, it responds with a 422 Unprocessable Entity error, that includes several HTTP headers. These headers provide additional context about the response and the server. Here’s what the headers might look like in the example scenario:
HTTP/1.1 422 Unprocessable Entity
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 245
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2023 12:34:56 GMT
Server: Apache/2.4.41 (Ubuntu)
X-Powered-By: PHP/7.4.3
Before you start unraveling the problem, it is important to find its root cause. This will save you time and effort and steer you in the right direction. Thankfully, several tools can provide insights into what could be the issue.
You can use an HTTP status checker to confirm the type of problem you are dealing with when your requests to a certain website or application return an error.
HTTP status checkers work by sending an HTTP request to the URL you submitted and listing the error codes of the web server’s responses.
Using such a tool will give you a clear idea of whether you are dealing with a 422 status or another response code and focus on resolving the exact problem.
Your website’s server logs are another source of information on why your website returns a 422 status code. If you are the owner or webmaster and your website produces the error, look for the server logs, which should be located in your web host’s control panel.
SiteGround users can find raw access logs in Site Tools > Statistics > Access Logs. Here, each visit and the corresponding HTTP status code from the respective website are logged for owners and webmasters to examine.
When troubleshooting a 422 error, debugging tools can be invaluable in identifying and resolving the underlying issues. They allow you to closely examine the interaction between the client and server, providing insights into potential data validation problems.
There are various types of debugging tools suitable for different environments and workflows, such as Postman for API testing, Fiddler for capturing HTTP traffic, or browser developer tools (e.g., Google Developer Console) for web applications. These tools help you analyze the requests and responses exchanged with the server.
Let’s take the Google Developer Console for example, since it is readily available in every Chrome browser. If you experience an error on a particular page, right-click on it and select Inspect.
Open the Network tab and recreate the events and conditions that originally triggered the error. The request which produces the 422 response should be marked in red. Click on it and then examine its Headers tab. Here, you can find detailed information about the HTTP response and the server in the Response Headers section.
Once you’ve gone through troubleshooting and established you are dealing with a 422 response code, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get it fixed. Naturally, the cause of the problem determines the fix. Here are some of the most common strategies for solving the 422 error.
Review and adjust the data being sent in the request to ensure it meets the server’s requirements. This includes correcting any syntax errors, ensuring data formats are valid (e.g., dates, emails), and providing accurate information.
For example, if you receive the error while submitting a contact form, ensure that the data is in the correct format – the age is an integer, the email address follows the conventional format, etc.
Make sure that all mandatory request data fields are completed. Check the API documentation or form requirements to identify which fields are necessary and ensure they are not left blank.
Verify that the data types of each field in the request match what the server expects.
For instance, if a field requires an integer (like age or ZIP code), ensure that no string or boolean values are being sent instead.
When it comes to WordPress, a corrupted database may prevent a website from processing requests correctly and produce a 422 error.
You have several options for repairing a WordPress database: you can use a plugin with database repair capabilities, repair tables from phpMyAdmin, or use the built-in WordPress database repair mode.
One of the most popular plugins is WP-DBManager, but it comes with a caveat – at the time of this article, the plugin hasn’t been updated for more than a year and hasn’t been tested with the last three major WordPress releases. Thus, you should be careful and take precautions, such as creating a backup of your website before using the plugin.
The built-in WordPress repair mode is more reliable, although it takes more effort. SiteGround users can follow these steps to enable it in Site Tools:
define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);
Implementing the best practices in data validation and application maintenance ensures the data sent to the server is accurate and complete. Hence, you will avoid most scenarios that could cause a 422 response code. Here are some effective strategies to prevent this error:
Understanding the causes of a 422 status code is crucial for effective troubleshooting and prevention. Here are some common reasons why this error might occur:
The 422 error “Unprocessable Entity” has many variations. The exact error message depends on the application, web server, and problem involved in the interaction. Below are some of the most frequently encountered framings of the 422 status code.
The 422 error code can significantly affect search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience. So, you should be mindful of it in case your website starts producing it and be proactive in fixing it.
Overall, you should regularly monitor your website’s SEO performance and signals to search engines. One handy tool is Google Search Console, which allows you to see the response codes your website sends to Google crawlers, catch potential problems, and fix them before they harm your SEO score.
The 400 “Bad Request” and 422 “Unprocessable Entity” status codes describe a problematic client request, but they signal different issues.
With a 400 Bad Request, the web server tells the client that it can’t understand the request due to malformed syntax, invalid request frame, or structural issues.
In a 422 Unprocessable Entity response, the web server informs the client that it understands the request syntax but can’t process it due to semantical errors (e.g., invalid data, missing data, logical errors, etc.)
Effectively managing the 422 error code is essential for delivering a seamless user experience and optimizing SEO performance. By understanding its causes and implementing robust practices, you can reduce its occurrence.
Proactive measures like regular code updates and comprehensive data validation address immediate issues and enhance the overall reliability and professionalism of your web application or website.
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