HTTP Status Codes

414 URI Too Long

The request URI is longer than the server is willing to interpret, frequently a GET carrying data that belongs in a POST body.

What it means

414 URI Too Long means the URL — usually because of an enormous query string — exceeds the server's limit. The remedy is generally to move the data from the query string into a request body with POST.

Why it matters

  • It guards against buffer-exhausting or malicious over-long URLs.
  • It flags an API design issue where large inputs should not be in the URL.

Common mistakes

  • Encoding large payloads in query strings instead of POST bodies.
  • Runaway redirect loops that keep appending query parameters.

How WebInspect checks this

  • WebInspect reports request URLs and flags abnormally long URIs and redirect-driven URL growth.