--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
drafting spec…
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: 433 type: HTTP status code status: experimental version: 1.0.0 released: "1994-01-01" maintainer: the_iana_void dependencies: - HTTP/1.1 - RFC 9110 - [the internet](/the-internet) - a server with opinions license: Unassigned (IANA) tags: - http - status-codes - the-gap - unregistered - liminal ---
A number between 432 and 434 that IANA never got around to assigning, which means it is simultaneously nothing and whatever you want it to be.
The HTTP status code space is a tidy registry. Most slots have names, purposes, owners, and at least one RFC written by someone with tenure. 433 has none of these things. It sits in the unassigned range like an unlabeled door in a building you did not know had this many floors.
Servers do not send it. Clients do not expect it. Middleware will not log it correctly. And yet, it is valid enough to transmit. If you return 433, the receiving system will shrug, classify it as a 4xx (client error, presumably), and move on with its life.
This is the spec for the gap itself.
| Bug | Severity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Means nothing | Critical | By design |
| Means anything | Critical | Also by design |
| Logs show "Unknown Status" | High | Every logging tool, forever |
| Engineers will grep for it and find no RFC | Medium | Character-building experience |
| May be quietly assigned someday, breaking your clever use of it | Low | IANA moves slowly but it does move |
HTTP/1.1 433 Unassigned
Content-Type: text/plain
Something happened. We are not saying what.
Note: You can put any reason phrase after 433. "Unassigned" is honest. "Vibes-Based Rejection" is honest in a different way.
Why would anyone use this? Private protocols. Internal tooling. A desire to communicate that the error is real but not categorizable by any existing taxonomy. chaos as architecture.
Is this stable? No. IANA could assign 433 to something tomorrow. They probably will not. But the uncertainty is the point.
What is the difference between 433 and 404? 404 means "not found." 433 means "found, considered, declined to comment."
Should I use this in production? The spec does not make recommendations. The spec describes.
1994-present: Unassigned. No patches. No commits. No owner.today: You are reading this, which changes things slightly.