HTTP 300 Multiple Choices

The resource has several representations and the server is asking the client to pick one, usually listing them in the body and optionally suggesting one in Location.

Defined in RFC 9110 §15.4.1 — 300 Multiple Choices · MDN reference

Where you meet HTTP 300 in production

Close to unused on the modern web — content negotiation through Accept headers replaced it. It survives in a few package indexes, document archives and language-selection pages.

Why you would test it

A redirect your HTTP library will not follow automatically. Test what your client does when it receives one: most surface it as a failure, which is the honest outcome.

What your client should do about a 300

There is no standard machine-readable format for the choices, so a client cannot choose generically. If a Location is present, following it is reasonable; otherwise surface the list to a person.

300 versus the codes it gets confused with

• 300 vs 406 Not Acceptable — 406 is "none of what you accept is available". 300 is "several things are available, choose".
• 300 vs 302 Found — 302 picks for you and redirects automatically; 300 hands the choice back.

Endpoints that return 300

1 endpoint in this playground answers with 300. Every one is free, needs no signup, and can be called from the browser or with curl.

• GET https://funapi.dev/api/faults/v1/status/{code} — Returned on request (Fault Injection API) Open & run this endpoint

Questions about HTTP 300

Do browsers follow a 300 automatically?

Only if it carries a Location header, and behaviour varies. Without one, the browser shows the response body.

Should an API ever return 300?

Rarely. Accept-based negotiation answering 200 or 406 is clearer for programmatic clients.

Other redirection codes

• 301 Moved Permanently
• 302 Found
• 303 See Other
• 304 Not Modified
• 307 Temporary Redirect
• 308 Permanent Redirect

All HTTP status codes · All 39 mock REST APIs · Getting started guide

Last updated 2 October 2026