HTTP status codes / 503
503 Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily overloaded or in maintenance.
What it means for a link
Temporarily broken.
Common causes
- Planned maintenance
- Traffic overload
How to fix it
Retry later. For planned downtime on your own site, a 503 with a Retry-After header is exactly right.
How Google handles it
Google’s recommended code for short outages: it keeps pages indexed for a while.
Check your own URLs: paste a list into the bulk HTTP status checker, trace one URL with the redirect checker, or test every link on a page with the broken link checker.
HTTP 503 questions
What does HTTP status 503 mean?
503 Service Unavailable: The server is temporarily overloaded or in maintenance.
Is a 503 a broken link?
Temporarily broken.
How do I fix a 503?
Retry later. For planned downtime on your own site, a 503 with a Retry-After header is exactly right.
How does Google handle 503?
Google’s recommended code for short outages: it keeps pages indexed for a while.