HTTP 207 Multi-Status
HTTP 207 Multi-Status comes from RFC 4918 (WebDAV). Instead of one status for the whole request, the server returns a 207 with an XML multistatus body that reports a separate status for each affected resource. It is used when a single request touches multiple resources that can succeed or fail independently. It is a WebDAV/API response, not something search crawlers expect on content pages.
What this means
207 Multi-Status is defined in RFC 4918, the WebDAV specification. WebDAV methods such as PROPFIND, COPY, MOVE and DELETE can operate over collections of resources, and a single request may partly succeed and partly fail. A 207 lets the server report each resource's outcome separately.
The response carries an XML multistatus element. Inside it, each response element pairs a resource (href) with its own status line, so a client can see exactly which members succeeded and which did not.
Why it matters for crawl diagnostics
Public content servers should not normally return 207 for a plain GET of an HTML page. If a crawler logs a 207 on a content URL, a WebDAV module may be enabled on a path that should be serving ordinary responses, or a batch API endpoint is being crawled.
Because the overall request is 207 but individual members can carry 4xx/5xx, never assume a 207 means everything succeeded. The truth is per-resource inside the body.
- RFC 4918 WebDAV status
- XML multistatus body carries one status per resource
- A 207 does not imply every member succeeded
How it appears in analytics and logs
A 207 Multi-Status means the request affected several resources and each has its own status inside the response body. Seeing 207 on a URL a crawler fetched suggests a WebDAV-enabled path or batch endpoint is exposed where ordinary HTML was expected.
Diagnostic use case
Identify a 207 as a WebDAV or batch-API response whose real per-resource outcomes are inside the XML body, not in the top-level status line.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID logs the status code returned to each crawler fetch, so a 207 appearing on a content URL stands out as an unexpected WebDAV/API response rather than a normal page.
Common mistakes
- Reading 207 as a blanket success without checking per-resource statuses in the body.
- Exposing WebDAV on content paths so plain GETs can return 207.
- Parsing a 207 body as HTML rather than the WebDAV XML it contains.
Privacy and accuracy notes
A 207 is a protocol response describing resource outcomes, not people. WebmasterID records the status of crawler fetches without attaching them to a visitor.
Related pages
- HTTP 208 Already Reported
HTTP 208 Already Reported is defined by RFC 5842, an extension to WebDAV for bindings. It is used inside a 207 Multi-Status response to tell the client that a resource's members were already enumerated in a previous part of the response, so they are not listed again. It prevents infinite or repeated enumeration when bindings create multiple paths to the same collection.
- HTTP 507 Insufficient Storage
HTTP 507 Insufficient Storage is a server-error status from RFC 4918 (WebDAV). It means the method could not be performed because the server is unable to store the representation needed to complete the request — for example a write that would exceed available disk space or a storage quota. It is a 5xx, so crawlers treat the URL as temporarily failing.
- HTTP status code cheat sheet for crawlers
This cheat sheet maps the five HTTP status classes to what they mean for crawlers and indexing. It is a quick reference for reading server logs and Search Console crawl data: which codes index normally, which redirect, which signal client errors, and which are server failures crawlers will retry. The aim is to interpret status codes through a crawl-and-index lens rather than a generic one.
- Website observability
Spot unexpected WebDAV or API status codes returned to crawlers.
Sources and verification notes
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.