HTTP 414 URI Too Long

4xx Client Error

4xx Client Error RFC 7231, Section 6.5.12

What is HTTP 414 URI Too Long?

The 414 (URI Too Long) status code indicates that the target URI is longer than the server is willing to interpret. This is often caused by excessive query string parameters or deeply nested URL paths. Most servers have a configurable URI length limit.

Common Use Cases

Excessive query string parameters
Long URL-encoded data in GET requests
Infinite redirect loops causing URL growth

Usage Example

If a client sends a GET request with dozens of query parameters that make the URL exceed 8KB, return 414 URI Too Long. The client should convert the request to POST with the data in the body instead of the URL.

# Nginx - increase URI length limit
large_client_header_buffers 4 16k;

# Apache - increase URI length limit
LimitRequestLine 16380

Related Status Codes

400 Bad Request 413 Content Too Large

Common Mistakes

⚠️

Mistake: Using GET requests with large payloads instead of POST

Fix: If your request includes large amounts of data, use POST with the data in the body. GET requests have URL length limits and exposing data in the URL is a security risk.

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Last updated: 21 Jun 2026

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