res.status for status codes in Express - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does res.status() do in Express?

res.status() sets the HTTP status code for the response sent to the client. It tells the browser or client if the request was successful, failed, or something else.

beginner

How do you send a 404 status code with a message using res.status()?

You chain res.status(404) with .send() like this: res.status(404).send('Not Found'). This sets the status and sends the message.

beginner

Why is it important to set the correct status code in Express responses?

Correct status codes help the client understand what happened. For example, 200 means success, 404 means not found, and 500 means server error. This helps browsers and APIs handle responses properly.

intermediate

Can you chain res.status() with other response methods? Give an example.

Yes, you can chain it with methods like .json(), .send(), or .end(). Example: res.status(201).json({ message: 'Created' }) sends a 201 status with JSON data.

beginner

What is the default status code if you don't use res.status() in Express?

The default status code is 200, which means the request was successful.

What does res.status(500) indicate?

A Request was successful

B Resource not found

C Server error occurred

D Client sent bad request

Status code 500 means there was a server error.

How do you send a 201 status code with JSON data in Express?

A res.status(jsonData).send(201)

B res.send(201, jsonData)

C res.json(201, jsonData)

D res.status(201).json(jsonData)

You set the status with res.status(201) and then send JSON with .json().

If you forget to use res.status(), what status code is sent by default?

A 200

B 500

C 404

D 302

Express sends status 200 by default, meaning success.

Which method can you chain after res.status() to send a plain text response?

A res.json()

B res.send()

C res.end()

D res.write()

res.send() sends a plain text or HTML response.

What status code should you use to indicate a resource was not found?

A 404

B 200

C 500

D 301

404 means the resource was not found.

Explain how to use res.status() to send a 403 Forbidden response with a message.

Think about chaining methods to set status and send text.

Describe why setting the correct HTTP status code in Express responses is important for clients.

Imagine how a browser or app knows what happened after a request.