All sorts of errors lurk in the online world. Some errors you will be familiar with are the HTTP error 501 and the 503 Service Unavailable Error which can negatively affect your SEO. But many different less-known errors can appear on your site. One of these errors is the 501 Not Implemented Error.
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As the name suggests, it is as much as no good. And you would be right! The http error 501may be a nuisance for website owners as it is a server-side error. In different words, it may be more difficult to restore as something on the server-side of things is causing the problem. Here’s an overview of what it is, its major reasons, and what you can do to fix it. Let’s jump right into it!
What Is a 501 Not Implemented Error?
An http error 501 is an HTTP error that suggests the approach used to fulfill the request does not work or was not observed at the server. In other words, the server would not understand the request method and isn’t capable of supporting it for any resource.
This error belongs to the 5xx status codes group, which might be errors that seem because of something wrong on the server-side of things, not the client. The request the client made is good, however, the server can’t generate the requested resource.
To explain the process, this is an example:
- You try to access your site which may be located at the following address:www.mywebsite.com.
- A request is made to the internet server for the usage of what’s called the HTTP protocol.
- The server responds to you. If the request is successful, the server will supply the requested resource.
- If not, you will be presented with a corresponding status code.
Since HTTP error 501 is a server-side error, you may repair it on your own, even though you may try some troubleshooting techniques. The recommended thing to do is contact your hosting company if everything else fails.
How Can a 501 Not Implemented Error Appear?
The HTTP error 501 messages can appear in any operating system and any browser. Whether you are using macOS or Windows, Google Chrome, or Safari, the error can show up in certain situations. Every browser shows the error message differently. The most common approaches to how the error may be presented to users include:
- 501 Not Implemented
- Error 501
- HTTP 501
- HTTP Error 501 Not Implemented
What Are the Causes of an HTTP error 501?
There are numerous reasons for the 501 error, including, but not restricted to:
Viruses or Malware
It’s possible that your device was given infected through a virus or is stricken by some malware. The virus and malware might also additionally negatively affect the functioning of the system so it is stopping the browser from establishing communication with the server. The culprit in this situation is your infected device and not the server. Tip: Perform a whole scan of your system to test for any safety threats which can result in a conversation failure.
Server Overload
Besides viruses or malware, server overload may be another reason for the website crash. For example, your site might also additionally have experienced a surge in traffic that ended in slowed down communication and ultimately a failure of the server to fulfill the request. Surges in site visitors generally are normally due to promotions, Black Friday sales, bot traffic, or a very successful advertising campaign, among other things.
Tip: To avoid the situation where your site crashes because of a surge in visitors, ensure you search for a hosting solution so that it will scale to your needs.
Expired Server Software
The HTTP error 501 also can seem as if the server is out of date. Although that is pretty unlikely to appear as most providers hold their software up-to-date, it could appear with sketchy providers that provide reasonably-priced or free offerings.
Tip: If you’ve got purchased offerings from an untrustworthy agency just to save some bucks, consider switching to a more reliable issuer to avoid the worst-case scenarios from taking place.
Why Should You Fix It?
The biggest trouble with Error 501 is the user experience. Put yourself in your site visitors’ shoes. Imagine landing on a web page, eager to read its contents or make a purchase, only to be welcomed with a message that says:
HTTP not implemented error
This will frustrate your site visitors to right away leave the site and possibly head over to your competitor. Your brand will leave the impact of being untrustworthy and unprofessional. In the long run, you may lose many business opportunities important for your business’s survival. The 2nd problem with an HTTP error 501 is that it negatively influences your SEO.
Google frequently crawls your website, going from one web page to another to test for any changes in your site, dead links, errors, etc. The poor effects of the error grow as your site remains unavailable for a long period. If your site is down for 15 minutes, the Google crawler gets the page brought from the cache. Or, you could even get your site up and working even before Google gets a chance to test it. You’re saved!
However, in case your site is down for 10 hours or more, for example, then Google might imagine the 501 error is a site-level problem that needs to be addressed. As a result, it may penalize your site, causing your scores to drop. Knowing what the HTTP not implemented Error means allows you to quickly find a way to the problem before the Google crawler scans your website or site visitors try to enter a page.
To prevent this error from impacting your online rankings and losing precious business opportunities, try the recommended solutions we’ve outlined in this post and avoid this situation from occurring again in the future.
Bottom Line
We’ve even prepared this comprehensive HTTP status code cheat sheet that you may use as a reference to learn about the exceptional kinds of status codes and their meaning. Last for not least, ensure you spend money on the right website maintenance services to detect errors the moment they occur. Remember: Regular tracking and maintenance will help keep you worry-free and your website error-free.