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HTTP 208 – Already Reported

? HTTP 208 – Already Reported

? Quick Overview

HTTP 208 Already Reported is a WebDAV-specific status code. It tells the client that a resource has already been listed earlier in the same response and should not be repeated again.

? Key Concepts

  • Part of the WebDAV extension to HTTP
  • Used in multi-status (207) responses
  • Prevents duplicate resource listings
  • Optimizes bandwidth and parsing

? Syntax / Theory

The 208 status is never sent alone. It appears inside a 207 Multi-Status XML response when the same internal resource would otherwise be reported multiple times.

? Code Example(s)

? View Code Example 
// Example HTTP response header with WebDAV context
HTTP/1.1 208 Already Reported
Content-Type: application/xml

? Live Output / Explanation

What the Client Understands

The server is confirming that the resource information has already been included earlier in the response body. The client should reuse the previous data instead of processing it again.

 

? Interactive / Visual Explanation

Think of a directory tree where a file appears in multiple collections. Try adding files below. If you add a duplicate, the server saves bandwidth by sending 208.

// Server Log initialized... waiting for requests

?️ Use Cases

  • WebDAV file servers
  • Distributed file systems
  • Version-controlled repositories
  • Complex directory synchronization

✅ Tips & Best Practices

  • Do not use 208 in normal REST APIs
  • Always pair it with 207 Multi-Status
  • Clients must cache earlier resource entries
  • Useful only in recursive or graph-like structures

? Try It Yourself

  • Inspect a WebDAV server response using browser dev tools
  • Locate 207 Multi-Status XML responses
  • Identify where 208 avoids duplication
  • Compare payload size with and without 208