HTTP 202 Accepted vs 506 Variant Also Negotiates
HTTP 202 (Accepted) is a 2xx Success response, while 506 (Variant Also Negotiates) is a 5xx Server Error response. 202 indicates that the request has been accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed. The request might or might not eventually be acted upon. In contrast, 506 means that the server has an internal configuration error: the chosen variant resource is configured to engage in content negotiation itself.
Description
The request has been accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed. The request might or might not eventually be acted upon.
When You See It
For async operations like batch jobs, email sending, or background tasks that take time to complete.
How to Fix
Poll the provided status URL or wait for a callback/webhook.
Description
The server has an internal configuration error: the chosen variant resource is configured to engage in content negotiation itself.
When You See It
Rare. Indicates a misconfigured server-side content negotiation loop.
How to Fix
Fix the server's content negotiation configuration.
Key Differences
202 is a 2xx Success response, while 506 is a 5xx Server Error response.
HTTP 202: The request has been accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed. The request might or might not eventually be acted upon.
HTTP 506: The server has an internal configuration error: the chosen variant resource is configured to engage in content negotiation itself.
You encounter 202 when for async operations like batch jobs, email sending, or background tasks that take time to complete.
You encounter 506 when rare. Indicates a misconfigured server-side content negotiation loop.
When to Use Which
For 202 (Accepted): Poll the provided status URL or wait for a callback/webhook. For 506 (Variant Also Negotiates): Fix the server's content negotiation configuration.