Hey everyone, I’m working on a REST API and I’m confused about how to handle requests for resources that don’t exist. I’ve seen people say we should return a 404 error, but that doesn’t feel right to me.
Here’s my issue: a 404 usually means the URL is wrong, right? But if someone asks for a user that’s not in our database, the URL is fine - it’s just that the user doesn’t exist.
For example, if someone asks for mysite.com/api/user/42 and there’s no user 42, should I really send a 404? What if they typed the wrong URL and meant to go to mysite.com/users/42 instead?
I’ve been sending back a 200 OK with an empty result when a resource isn’t found. It seems cleaner to me. But maybe there’s a better way?
What do you all think? How do you handle this in your APIs?
As someone who’s built a few REST APIs, I’ve grappled with this exact issue. In my experience, returning a 404 for non-existent resources is actually the way to go. Here’s why:
First off, it’s important to remember that 404 doesn’t just mean ‘wrong URL’. It means ‘not found’, which is exactly what’s happening when a resource doesn’t exist in your database.
I used to worry about confusing clients too, but I’ve found that clear error messages solve this problem. When I return a 404, I include a JSON body that explains exactly what’s not found. Something like: {‘error’: ‘User with ID 42 not found’}. This way, clients can easily distinguish between a typo and a missing resource.
Another benefit of using 404 is that it’s a standard practice. Most developers expect it, and many HTTP clients are built to handle it automatically. Using 200 with an empty result can actually cause more confusion, as it suggests the request was successful when it wasn’t.
Lastly, using 404 consistently makes your API more predictable. Whether it’s a user, a post, or any other resource, if it doesn’t exist, you always get the same response. This simplifies error handling on the client side.
Just my two cents based on what I’ve learned the hard way. Hope it helps!
In my experience working on several REST API projects, I decided to use a 404 status code for requests with non-existent resources. This choice stems from the idea that 404 is not only about a wrong URL but also about the inability to locate the resource. Returning 404 makes the API behavior more predictable and allows clients to handle errors consistently. I avoid returning a 200 OK with an empty body because it can suggest a successful operation even when no data exists. I find that clear error messages, provided alongside the 404, improve overall communication with the client.
hey, i’d go with 404 since it’s standard. it shows the resource isnt found and keeps things clear. make sure your err msg in the body explains it, like {‘error’: ‘user not found’}, so clients dont get confused.