418

I'm a teapot

4xx Client Error

ELI5

I'm a teapot, not a coffee maker! This is an April Fools' joke code - don't use it in real APIs.

Server perspective

Treat 418 as an educational or playful status, not a production API contract.

When to use

•Use 418 only for demos, jokes, or explicit non-production easter eggs
•Remember that modern HTTP reserves 418 without giving it normal application semantics
•Easter eggs in development environments
•Demonstrating HTTP status codes
•April Fools' Day jokes
•Educational purposes only

How to respond

•If you expose 418 at all, make sure product teams understand it is intentionally nonstandard
•Prefer defined 4xx codes for real client errors

Headers to consider

•No status-specific header is required; still send normal HTTP metadata such as Content-Type, caching, or tracing headers when they help the client.

Response body

•No production API should depend on a 418 body contract; use it only for intentional demos or jokes.

Server-side pitfalls

•Do not build real API error handling around 418
•Do not assume generic tooling or clients will treat 418 consistently
•Production APIs
•Any serious application
•When you need meaningful error responses

Examples

Coffee brewing request

Request:BREW https://api.example.test/coffee

Response:

418 I'm a teapot

# Headers
Content-Type: application/json

# Body
{
  "error": "teapot"
}

Server is a teapot and cannot brew coffee

References

Related Status Codes

Bad Request

Your request doesn't make sense or has mistakes in it. Check what you're sending and try again.

Not Implemented

Our server doesn't know how to do what you asked. This feature hasn't been built yet.