HTTP 415 — Unsupported Media Type
HTTP 415
Unsupported Media Type
The server will not accept the format of the body you sent.
What 415 actually means
The `Content-Type` of the request body is one the endpoint does not handle. Most often this is an API that only accepts `application/json` receiving a form-encoded body, or receiving no `Content-Type` at all because a client library omitted it. It is about the request body, not the response — that is 406 — and it is the most consistently self-inflicted error in this list, because the fix is almost always one header.
Common causes
- Sending JSON without `Content-Type: application/json`
- Sending `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` to a JSON-only endpoint
- A charset parameter the server rejects, such as `application/json; charset=utf-8` on a strict parser
- Uploading a file type the endpoint refuses
- A multipart upload with a malformed or missing boundary parameter
If you're just trying to view the page
- If you were uploading a file, convert it to a format the site accepts — the accepted list is usually shown near the upload button
- Otherwise there is nothing to change on your side; this is a problem in the software making the request
If it's your site
- Set `Content-Type` explicitly on every request with a body; many HTTP clients do not infer it
- On the server, list the accepted types in the error body so the client can correct itself
- Accept media type parameters such as `charset` rather than requiring an exact string match
- Check that a proxy has not rewritten or dropped the `Content-Type` header
Reference
- Status code
- 415
- Reason phrase
- Unsupported Media Type
- Category
- 4xx — Client Error
- Defined in
- RFC 9110 §15.5.16
Common questions
- What does HTTP 415 mean?
- The server will not accept the format of the body you sent. The `Content-Type` of the request body is one the endpoint does not handle. Most often this is an API that only accepts `application/json` receiving a form-encoded body, or receiving no `Content-Type` at all because a client library omitted it.
- How do I fix a 415 error?
- If you were uploading a file, convert it to a format the site accepts — the accepted list is usually shown near the upload button
- Is 415 a client error or a server error?
- 415 is in the 4xx range, which means client error. The request itself was the problem, so retrying it unchanged will usually return the same code.
Related pages
- 404 Not Found The server is reachable and working, but there is nothing at the address you ask
- 403 Forbidden The server understood the request and is refusing to allow it, and logging in wi
- 401 Unauthorized You need to authenticate, and either you did not or your credentials were reject
- 429 Too Many Requests You have sent more requests than the service allows in a given period.
- 400 Bad Request The server could not understand the request because something about it is malfor
- 413 Content Too Large The request body is bigger than the server is willing to accept.
- 422 Unprocessable Content The request is well-formed and understood, but the data in it fails the rules.
- 405 Method Not Allowed The URL exists, but it does not accept the HTTP method you used.
- 409 Conflict The request cannot be completed because it clashes with the current state of the
- 408 Request Timeout The server gave up waiting for the client to finish sending its request.
- 410 Gone The resource was deliberately removed and is not coming back, and there is no fo
- 451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons The content is blocked because of a legal demand — a court order, takedown notic