Html 304 ошибка

An HTTP status code is a response code sent between a browser and a web server every time the browser receives an HTTP request. For example, when you enter a URL to access a website.

When you make a request on your browser, it will send an If-Modified-Since request header to the web server. This request header is sent to know when the web page in question was last modified.

Then, the Last-Modified response header will specify when the web source was last modified. If there’s no change, the server will send the HTTP 304 response code.

The HTTP status code 304 means Not Modified – the web page you requested hasn’t changed since the last time you accessed it.

After that, your browser will retrieve the cached version of the web page in your local storage. That way, the browser doesn’t have to download the same information from the website’s server repeatedly.

This post will further discuss what is the HTTP 304 Not Modified status code and various methods to troubleshoot it.

What Are HTTP Status Codes?

HTTP status codes indicate information exchange. They let you know if the request you made was successful or if there was an error.

There are five categories of HTTP status codes, with each indicating a different type of issue:

• The 1xx status codes – informational requests
• The 2xx status codes – successful requests
• The 3xx status codes – redirects
• The 4xx status codes – client errors
• The 5xx status codes – server errors

However, there are only a few of these codes that you’ll likely encounter directly. If you ever come across any of these response status codes, it means you should take further action to solve the issue.

For example, response codes in the 400s indicate errors, such as the 403 Forbidden, which means you don’t have permission to access a resource.

Then there are the 200s responses like HTTP 200 OK, which communicates your request’s success.

Meanwhile, response codes in the 300s indicate redirection issues, such as the 301 and 302 redirects, used for permanent and temporary redirects.

HTTP 304 requests may improve user experience by speeding up resource page delivery, especially when you have a massive number of web pages.

It optimizes your user experience speed and minimizes the requests that the server has to handle. It also helps search engines crawl your pages more efficiently since they won’t waste their crawl budget on pages that haven’t been updated since their last visit.

However, it may also block the visitor’s access to your content.

What Causes the 304 Not Modified Status Code?

304 Not Modified status codes can happen either on the server or the client-side. However, if a user encounters a 304 Not Modified status code on your site, the error most likely occurred on their part and there isn’t much you can do to fix it.

Here are some of the causes why a user may receive a 304 Not Modified status code:

• Virus – The browser may be corrupted by viruses or malware, which affects its capability of communicating with web servers and caching web pages.
• Recent software installation – If a user just recently installed or uninstalled software on their computer, sometimes the registry can become corrupt. This condition also impacts the browser’s communication and caching function.
• Corrupt application – If a user has any application which has corrupt files related to their browser, it will impact its ability to save web pages and update information.

5 Methods to Fix the 304 Status Code

There are five ways to fix the 304 Not Modified status code. Even though you cannot solve the problem on the client-side, you will be able to recommend possible solutions.

1. Clear Your Browser Cache

You can start by deleting all your browsing data, cookies, and other cached information.

Clearing your browser’s cache will remove all data in your temporary storage. By clearing it once in a while, you’ll save plenty of disk space and enable it to work faster.

Outdated resources in your cache can also stop you from seeing the website’s updated content. Clearing them allows you to acquire a new copy of information from the site’s web server.

If you’re using Google Chrome, follow these steps to clear your browser’s cache:

1. Click Customize and control Google Chrome – the three horizontal dots at the top-right corner of your window.
2. Navigate to History -> History.
3. Click Clear Browsing Data.

1. A new window will pop up. Select the Time range – if you want to clear up everything, choose All Time.

1. Choose what you want to clear – browsing history, cookies and other site data, cached images and files.
2. Click the Clear Data button.

If you use another browser, the steps to clear the browser cache will vary, but we provide a step-by-step guide for different desktop and mobile platforms.

2. Flush the DNS

Similar to web browsers, operating systems also store cache files, but in the Domain Name System (DNS) cache. It contains information about your browsing data, including hostnames, IP addresses, and resource records.

DNS caching helps load web pages faster when you visit them again, lessening the DNS server’s burden when traffic is high.

The cache files have a validity period, which is determined by the Time to Live (TTL) value. Valid DNS caches can answer any content request without going through a DNS server, but they can cause errors or security issues if they’re outdated or corrupted.

Regularly flushing your DNS can improve your operating system’s security and prevent search behavior tracking, making it hard for hackers to predict your browsing history.

It can also solve technical problems, such as connection issues or the HTTP 304 Not Modified response codes.

If you use Google Chrome, flush your DNS by entering chrome://net-internals/#dns into the address bar.

A menu page will open. Click the Clear host cache button.

Google Chrome keeps a separate DNS cache, so it is necessary to flush DNS on your computer as well.

Flushing your operating system’s DNS is also relatively simple. Follow the steps below if you use Windows – it’s applicable for Windows XP, 7, Vista, 8, 8.1, or 10:

1. Click the Start button, then navigate to Windows Systems -> Command Prompt.
2. The command-line interface will open. Type this command line:

ipconfig /flushdns

1. A confirmation message will appear once the process is successful.

It’s also possible to flush your DNS on other operating systems, such as Mac and Linux.

3. Check Your Redirect Instructions In .htaccess

If none of the previous methods corrected the error message, the issue may be on your server configuration file. For example, your redirect instructions may be incorrect.

To check your server configuration file, you need to know whether your server is running on Nginx or Apache.

If you use Nginx, you don’t have access to the .htaccess file. Check the error logs to see what you need to troubleshoot.

With Apache, check the .htaccess file in your site’s root directory. Log into your hosting account’s File Manager, then navigate to the public_html folder.

Disable the .htaccess by renaming it to .htaccess_disabled. Check the site’s availability and the 304 Not Modified status code while the .htaccess is disabled. Rename it back to .htaccess to enable it again.

If this method resolves the error code, check the code in the .htaccess with your developer. Also, look for incorrect redirect settings, which differ on each website.

4. Run a Malware Scan

Another possible cause of the HTTP 304 Not Modified status is a browser corrupted by a virus or malware infection.

Those threats may interrupt or interfere with your system, including the header request. To identify and remove the threats from your system, run a malware scan.

If you use Google Chrome on Windows, perform it by running the built-in Malware Scanner and Cleanup Tool.

First, check if your Chrome is up to date. Click on the three vertical dots on the top-right of Chrome’s window, then navigate to Settings -> About Chrome.

If you’re not using Chrome’s current version, update it by clicking the Relaunch button.

Now that you’ve updated Chrome, open a new tab and enter chrome://settings/cleanup on the URL bar. Click Find.

It will immediately scan your computer, then provide you with the result report.

Other browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge don’t have a built-in malware scanner. The same goes for other operating systems like Mac and Linux.

If you use these browsers or operating systems, run the malware scan with the antivirus software on your computer.

5. Disable Browser Extensions

Infected browser extensions can also interfere with requests and server communication, causing the HTTP 304 Not Modified status code.

Disable your browser’s extensions to solve this issue. The steps vary for each browser, so here is a guide for four major browsers – Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

Chrome

Navigate to Settings -> Extensions. On the Extensions page, disable each extension by clicking on their toggle switches.

Click the Remove button if you want to delete unused or outdated extensions.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Click the Open menu icon on the top-right of your Mozilla Firefox window, then select Add-ons.
2. On the Add-ons Manager tab, select Plugins.

1. Choose the plugins that you want to disable by selecting Never Activate on the drop-down menu.

1. If you want to re-enable the plugin, check the Disabled plugins list and select Always Activate on the drop-down menu.

Safari

1. On Safari, open the menu and select Preferences.
2. Click the Extensions icon.
3. Deselect an extension’s checkbox to turn it off.

1. If you no longer need an extension, it’s better to uninstall it. Click the Uninstall button to do so.

Microsoft Edge

Navigate to Settings and more on the top-right corner of the Microsoft Edge window. Select Extensions.

Click on the extension’s toggle switch to disable it. It will erase the extension icon next to the address bar.

We recommend relaunching your browser once you finish disabling the extensions to get the best results. After that, check the URL that you initially wanted to visit. See if it still has the HTTP 304 Not Modified status code.

If it resolves the issue, it’s safe to re-enable your extensions one by one.

Conclusion

If you come across the HTTP 304 Not Modified status code when accessing a website, it means your browser and the web server experienced a communication issue.

This status code can appear on both your side or your site visitors’ and might block access to your content.

The HTTP 304 Not Modified status code indicates that there is no need to retransmit the resources you request – it will redirect you to cached content instead.

However, the 304 status code may also indicate that your browser or server is not configured correctly, causing issues in the communication between the two.

There are five methods you can follow to fix this issue:

1. Clearing your browser cache
2. Flushing the DNS
3. Checking your redirect instructions in .htaccess
4. Running malware scan
5. Disabling the browser extensions

After performing each method, make sure to recheck everything by relaunching your browser.

Keep in mind that it is not possible to solve the 304 not modified status code on your visitor’s side, but you’ll be able to provide them with a resource to fix the error codes.

304 Status Code FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about the 304 status code.

The HTTP 304 not modified status code indicates a communication problem between a user’s browser and a website’s server. If you or your users come across this status code on your site, it can block access to your content entirely.

Since it can be on the server-side or the client-side, figuring out the source of the problem can take a little work. Fortunately, there are several foolproof techniques for troubleshooting it.

In this post, we’ll discuss HTTP status codes and explain what the HTTP 304 status code is. Then we’ll walk you through six methods you (or your visitors) can use to fix it.

Let’s get started!

An Introduction to HTTP Status Codes

To understand HTTP 304, it helps to first understand status codes. Put simply, every time you make a request to your browser – such as by accessing a particular website – an HTTP status code is sent between your browser and the server in order to exchange information.

There are more than 40 different status codes that can be involved in that communication. However, there are only a handful you’ll likely come across directly. When you do encounter a status code, it usually means that something has gone wrong.

HTTP status codes fall into one of five categories, numbered between the 100s and 500s. Each series indicates a different type of problem. For example, error codes that fall into the 400s, such as the “404 Not Found” error and the ”401 error”, typically mean that there was an issue with the request and the website or page in question was unreachable.

On the other hand, codes in the 300s – such as the HTTP 304 status code we’ll focus on in this post – are redirection codes. They make it clear that the information being requested was either temporarily or permanently substituted with another resource.

When you encounter one of these status codes, it means that further action must be taken.

What is The HTTP 304 Status Code?

HTTP 304, also sometimes known as “304 Not Modified”, is a code that communicates to your browser that: “The requested resource has not been modified since the last time you accessed it.”

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) defines the 304 Not Modified as:

The 304 (Not Modified) status code indicates that a conditional GET or HEAD request has been received and would have resulted in a 200 (OK) response if it were not for the fact that the condition evaluated to false. In other words, there is no need for the server to transfer a representation of the target resource because the request indicates that the client, which made the request conditional, already has a valid representation; the server is therefore redirecting the client to make use of that stored representation as if it were the payload of a 200 (OK) response.

Essentially, your (or your visitor’s) browser is being told by the server that the resources stored (cached) in the browser haven’t been modified since the latest time you visited that page.

In turn, your browser retrieves a saved version of the web page from the cache. The purpose of this is to improve page speed and delivery, by preventing your browser from having to repeatedly download the same information.

Check Out Our Video Guide to the 304 Not Modified Status Code and All 3xx Redirects

Understanding HTTP 304 Requests

When your browser stores a resource in the cache, it keeps what’s called the ‘Last-Modified header’ information that was sent from the server. If a browser receives a request for a web page it has a saved copy of, but it doesn’t know whether it has the latest version, it sends a ‘conditional validation’ request to the server.

The browser communicates to the server the ‘Last-Modified’ date and time for the copy of the resource it has, via the ‘If-Modified-Since’ or ‘If-None-Match’ header. The server inspects these headers and also looks at the ETag value. The latter is a unique identifier used to specify the version of a particular resource.

If the values for these files are the same, the server sends the HTTP 304 Not Modified response header and the browser uses the cached copy of the resource.

If the browser copy is outdated, meaning that the file has been modified since the last request, it sends an HTTP 200 code and a new copy is used.

Unfortunately, there are a few issues that might cause an HTTP 304 response when it’s not supposed to occur. The most common causes include:

• Server configuration or Domain Name Server (DNS) issues
• A cached resource that is infected or corrupted (i.e., malware or viruses affecting the browser)

The 304 status code can be due to a problem on either the server-side or the client-side, so it might take some troubleshooting in order to diagnose and resolve it.

The HTTP 304 status code can block access to all of your content which means understanding how to fix it is crucial 🚨 This guide has 6 methods to get things back up and running ASAP ✨Click to Tweet

How to Fix an HTTP 304 Status Code (6 Potential Methods)

The methods you can use to resolve an HTTP 304 status code vary from simple to fairly technical. Search engines are responsible for indexing and caching websites, so this issue can usually be traced back to the browser being used to access the site.

Of course, there’s only so much you can do to fix the browsers of people who are trying to access your site.

However, understanding what may be causing the issue for visitors can be helpful, either when trying to find a solution on your end or assisting them directly.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at six methods you can use to try and fix an HTTP 304 status code!

1. Clear the Browser’s Cache Data

First up, cleaning your browser data to clear the cache might help with accessing the desired URL. This includes deleting all of the browsing data, cookies, and cache information.

The instructions for executing this process will vary depending on the browser you’re using. If you’re unsure how to do it on your device, feel free to refer to our guide on clearing the cache for all major browsers.

2. Run a Malware Scan

Corrupted browsers that have been infected with a virus or malware may be another culprit. Therefore, it’s a good idea to run a malware scan on your system. Doing so can help identify and remove any issues that might be interrupting or interfering with the header request, including problematic extensions.

If you’re using the Windows version of Chrome, you can run the Malware Scanner and Cleanup Tool that comes built-in.

To do this, first make sure you’re running the latest version of Chrome by opening up a new tab and clicking on the menu icon, followed by About Chrome:

If your browser isn’t updated to the current version, you can resolve that in the same place. Then, open a new Chrome tab and enter “chrome://settings/cleanup” into the URL bar.

Hit Enter, and then next to Find and remove harmful software click on the Find button:

The scanner will begin running, then report back with the results.

Unfortunately, some other browsers such as Firefox and Edge, as well as the macOS and Linux OSs, do not come with their own versions of this built-in tool. Instead, you’ll have to run a malware scan using the antivirus software on your computer.

3. Disable Your Browser’s Extensions

Your browser’s extensions may also become infected and interfere with requests and server communication. That’s why you may also want to disable them. You can do this by opening Chrome’s menu and going to Settings > Extensions:

On the Extensions page, you can disable each one by clicking on the corresponding toggle switch.

You can also delete unused or outdated extensions via the Remove button:

Again, this process will vary slightly depending on your browser. The goal is to remove or disable each extension manually and then check to see if that resolves the HTTP 304 issue.

Then, you can try turning them back on one by one.

4. Flush the DNS and Reset the TCP/IP

If the problem hasn’t been resolved at this point, there could be an issue with the DNS settings. For example, using an outdated IP address might cause an HTTP 304 status code.

Therefore, another approach to try is flushing the DNS and resetting the TCP/IP.

With Chrome, you can flush the browser DNS by entering “chrome://net-internals/#dns” into a new tab.

Hit Enter, and then click on the Clear host cache button:

You can also flush the DNS and reset the TCP/IP in your OS. If you need detailed guidance, you can refer to our tutorial on How to Flush DNS Cache (Windows, Mac, Chrome).

5. Try Using the Google Public DNS

Another potential cause is an incorrect DNS address. Therefore, it’s worth using the Google Public DNS to see if that resolves the problem.

On Windows, you can do this by pressing the Win + R keys. In the Run window that appears, type “ncpa.cpl” into the command box, and then hit Ok.

In the Network Connections window that opens next, locate the network connection you’re using and right-click on it. Next, select Properties:

From there, double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4:

Select the option to “Use the following DNS server addresses”, then enter the value “8.8.8.8” under Preferred and “8.8.4.4” under Alternate:

When you’re done, click on Ok. Then restart your system, and try accessing the website again.

To change your DNS server settings using macOS, you would go to Apple > System Preferences > Network:

In the window that opens, select your connection, then click on Advanced followed by the DNS tab:

Click the + icon next to the IPv4 or IPv6 addresses, to replace the existing addresses with the Google Public IPs.

For further instructions or for guidance on using Google Public DNS on a Linux or another OS, check out Google’s own DNS guide.

6. Check Your Server Configuration Files for Incorrect Redirect Instructions

An HTTP 304 Not Modified status code can occur due to both server- and client-related problems. If none of the methods we’ve covered so far have corrected the issue, your server configuration files may be at fault. For example, it’s possible that there are incorrect redirect instructions present.

The process for checking your server configuration files depends on whether you’re using Nginx or Apache.

At Kinsta, we use the Nginx web server. So if you’re a Kinsta user, you won’t have access to the .htaccess file that Apache users do.

However, you can still perform similar functions. For example, after logging in to MyKinsta, you can check the Analytics > Response section of the dashboard for a breakdown of response codes and redirects:

You can also check the error logs. If you have a specific question or request about editing the configuration files, your best bet is to reach out to our support team.

If your server is running on Apache, then you’ll want to look for the .htaccess file in the root directory of your site. You can do this by logging into the File Manager for your hosting account, and navigating to the public_html folder.

Once you open that file, look for a mod_cache module section. It should look something like this:

LoadModule cache_module modules/mod_cache.so
<IfModule mod_cache.c>
    LoadModule cache_disk_module modules/mod_cache_disk.so
    <IfModule mod_cache_disk.c>
        CacheRoot "c:/cacheroot"
        CacheEnable disk  "/"
        CacheDirLevels 5
        CacheDirLength 3
    </IfModule>

    # When acting as a proxy, don't cache the list of security updates
    CacheDisable "http://security.update.server/update-list/"
</IfModule>

We don’t recommend deleting anything, as that can cause severe damage. Instead, you can try temporarily commenting out the cache section by adding a “#” symbol at the beginning of each line.

After you save your changes, check to see if this resolved the HTTP 304 status code.

Don’t let an HTTP 304 status code stand in the way of your site ❌ Find all the troubleshooting tricks you need in this in-depth guideClick to Tweet

Summary

300s redirection codes are used to improve page speed and performance. Unfortunately, when a server or browser isn’t properly configured, communication between the two can get interrupted and result in an HTTP 304 not modified status code. There are six methods you can use to fix it, specifically:

1. Clearing your browser’s cache data.
2. Running a malware scan.
3. Disabling your browser extensions.
4. Flushing the DNS and resetting the TCI/IP.
5. Trying the Google Public DNS.
6. Checking your server configuration files for incorrect redirect instructions.

The other night I was searching «Best Pasta Dish Recipes» on Google.

I clicked the first link and was stopped by the dreaded error code.

I’m willing to bet something similar has happened to you, at one point or another.

When that happens, it’s not just my brain experiencing technical difficulties.

These error codes are HTTP status codes. If you receive an error code, something went wrong when your browser requested the information from a web server. An HTTP status code is sent every time you go to a new web page. However, you’ll only see them if something isn’t right.

For marketers, it’s important to discover and fix these issues so your website visitors don’t have a negative experience.

Below, let’s review what an HTTP 304 not modified status code is, and what’s causing it.

When you click on a web page or URL, your browser requests access to it from a web server. If it has not been modified since the last time you accessed it, the web server will send back a 304 not modified status code, which lets your browser know to use a cached version of the web page.

Usually, you’ll only see this error code if you’re on a search engine because search engines index and cache websites.

If your browser receives this code, it’ll try to show you a saved version of the page. But sometimes it might prevent you from accessing the URL because it’s outdated.

As a marketer, you could lose out on traffic and leads if visitors are prevented from seeing your site.

So, what causes a 304 not modified code?

Causes of an HTTP 304 Not Modified Status Code

If a user sees a 304 not modified status code on your site, there isn’t much you can do. This is because the problem is most likely on their side of the screen.

Users could receive a 304 not modified status code for a variety of reasons:

1. You have a virus.

If you have a virus or malware on your computer, it most likely has corrupted your browser. This could impact your browser’s ability to communicate with web servers and cache web pages.

2. You’ve recently installed or uninstalled software.

Sometimes when you install or uninstall software on your computer, the registry could become corrupt. Again, this impacts your browser.

3. An application has corrupted files.

If there are corrupted files related to your internet browser, it will impact its ability to save web pages and update information.

How to Fix a 304 Not Modified Status Code

Although marketers can’t do much if a user sees a 304 not modified status code, users can try a few things to get the web page to show up on their browser.

1. Clear browsing data.

Clearing your browsing data will make sure your cache is cleared so it can try to access the URL you’re requesting.

To clear your browsing data, go to your History and then click «Clear browsing data.» In Chrome, it looks like this:

Once you click that, make sure you check off all three options. Then, you’ll want to change the time frame to «All Time.» It should look like this:

2. Run cleaners to get rid of viruses and malware.

A 304 not modified code could be happening because your browser is corrupted with a virus or malware. Run a check to make sure that isn’t the issue and clean up your computer.

3. Disable extensions.

There could be something wrong with your extensions. For example, they could be corrupt, which impacts your browser’s ability to receive information. Disable your extensions to see if this is the issue.

If these things don’t work, fixing a 304 not modified can be a more technical process. You might consider asking a web developer or someone in IT to take a look.

If you receive an HTTP 304 not modified error code, it’s because the URL you requested has outdated information. To fix it, you’ll want to double-check that the error isn’t on your side — the client’s — but instead on the server-side.