HTTP Status Codes
HTTP 207 Multi-Status
Multi-Status — the response contains status information for multiple resources
What 207 Means
The 207 error on the HTTP Status Codes indicates multi-status — the response contains status information for multiple resources. This typically occurs due to a webdav batch operation returned mixed results across multiple resources.
The 207 status originates from the WebDAV extension and is used when a single request targets several resources at once. Each sub-resource carries its own individual status inside the XML response body, allowing partial success to be reported accurately.
Technical Background
The 207 Multi-Status response is an extension defined by WebDAV. It allows a single HTTP response to carry individual status codes for multiple operations, typically in an XML body where each resource has its own status element.
This approach avoids the ambiguity of returning a single status code for a batch operation where some items succeeded and others failed. Without 207, the server would have to choose between misleading the client with a blanket 200 or a blanket error code.
Common Causes
- A WebDAV batch operation returned mixed results across multiple resources
- A multi-resource request produced different outcomes for each item
- A bulk file operation succeeded for some items and failed for others
Typical Scenarios
- A file manager app creates three folders via WebDAV but one already exists, producing a mixed result
- A calendar application updates multiple events in a single batch request to a CalDAV server
What to Know
A 207 response requires parsing the response body to determine the outcome of each sub-operation. The top-level 207 status alone does not confirm overall success or failure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about HTTP 207 error
Not necessarily. A 207 response contains individual status codes for each sub-operation, and some of them may indicate failure. The response body must be inspected to determine each result.