What is a 401 status code?
The status code 401 always appears if a client does not have access to the corresponding file or website. Authentication is missing in this case. This is also known as HTTP authentication.
What does the 401 status code (HTTP authentication) mean for SEO?
Websites with the 401 status code are usually set up by the webmasters. They may only be intended for internal purposes. Such pages are not relevant for the public, so they should not be crawled. It is also possible that the project is still in the creation phase. Only authorized persons are allowed to see how the content is designed, make suggestions for changes and the like. This does not have a direct effect on SEO.
When does the 401 status code appear?
If the password and user name must be entered to access a URL, the browser displays the status code 401 Unauthorizes. Users now have the task of entering the corresponding authentication data. If these match, the content of the website is displayed. If the access data is incorrect, a corresponding error message is displayed.
What are the reasons for HTTP authentication?
Pages with a 401 status code should usually only be made accessible to certain people. The content should be hidden from the public. Only authorized persons are granted access by entering the correct access data.
Sometimes, however, it can also be an error on the server side. There may be something wrong with the page configuration. The browser settings can also cause a corresponding message due to an unstable connection to the desired target page.
