418I’m a teapot
418 I’m a teapot comes from RFC 2324, the 1998 April Fools’ Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol. RFC 9110 §15.5.19 lists 418 as “(Unused)” and reserves it; it is a real registered code, but not one you should use for actual errors.
What does it mean?
The code is a piece of HTTP folklore. Some sites use it as an Easter egg or to reject unwanted automated requests.
Because it is reserved, do not assign it a new meaning in your API. Clients and intermediaries will not know what to do with it.
When does it happen?
- An Easter egg on a personal site.
- A test suite that checks unusual status codes.
- A playful rejection of bots, if the API contract allows it.
How do you fix it?
If you run the server
- Do not use 418 for real errors. Use 400, 403, 429, or 503.
- If you ship it as an Easter egg, document it so clients are not confused.
- Keep the response short and obviously playful.
If you are just visiting
- You found the teapot. There is nothing to fix.
- If you expected data, the server is joking; try the normal endpoint.
Use the status image
Technical notes
Reason phrase from RFC 2324 §2.3.2; RFC 9110 calls 418 “(Unused)”.