HTTP 506 Variant Also Negotiates vs 526 Invalid SSL Certificate
Both HTTP 506 (Variant Also Negotiates) and 526 (Invalid SSL Certificate) belong to the 5xx Server Error category. 506 indicates that the server has an internal configuration error: the chosen variant resource is configured to engage in content negotiation itself. Meanwhile, 526 means that cloudflare-specific. The origin's SSL certificate could not be validated.
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.
Description
Cloudflare-specific. The origin's SSL certificate could not be validated.
When You See It
When using Cloudflare Full (Strict) mode with an invalid origin certificate.
How to Fix
Install a valid SSL certificate on the origin, or use Cloudflare Origin CA certificate.
Key Differences
HTTP 506: The server has an internal configuration error: the chosen variant resource is configured to engage in content negotiation itself.
HTTP 526: Cloudflare-specific. The origin's SSL certificate could not be validated.
You encounter 506 when rare. Indicates a misconfigured server-side content negotiation loop.
You encounter 526 when when using Cloudflare Full (Strict) mode with an invalid origin certificate.
When to Use Which
For 506 (Variant Also Negotiates): Fix the server's content negotiation configuration. For 526 (Invalid SSL Certificate): Install a valid SSL certificate on the origin, or use Cloudflare Origin CA certificate.