405 Method Not Allowed

What This Error Means

The request method is not supported for the requested resource.

HTTP method (GET, POST, etc.) not allowed for this endpoint.

Common Causes

• Using POST on GET-only endpoint
• Using GET on POST-only endpoint
• Method not implemented

How to Fix It (For Visitors)

• Contact the website administrator

How to Fix It (For Developers/Admins)

• Check API documentation for allowed methods
• Verify HTTP method in request
• Add Allow header in response
• Review route configuration

Code Examples

Here's how to return a 405 status code in various programming languages:

Python (Flask)

from flask import Flask, jsonify

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/endpoint')
def endpoint():
    return jsonify({"message": "Method Not Allowed"}), 405

Node.js (Express)

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/endpoint', (req, res) => {
    res.status(405).json({ message: 'Method Not Allowed' });
});

PHP

<?php
http_response_code(405);
header('Content-Type: application/json');
echo json_encode(['message' => 'Method Not Allowed']);
?>

Go

package main

import (
    "encoding/json"
    "net/http"
)

func handler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
    w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
    w.WriteHeader(405)
    json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]string{
        "message": "Method Not Allowed",
    })
}

Java (Spring Boot)

@GetMapping("/endpoint")
public ResponseEntity<Map<String, String>> endpoint() {
    Map<String, String> response = new HashMap<>();
    response.put("message", "Method Not Allowed");
    return ResponseEntity.status(405).body(response);
}

Ruby (Sinatra)

get '/endpoint' do
    status 405
    json message: 'Method Not Allowed'
end

Browser Compatibility

Browser	Support	Notes
Chrome	✓ Full Support	All versions
Firefox	✓ Full Support	All versions
Safari	✓ Full Support	All versions
Edge	✓ Full Support	All versions

Official Specification

This status code is defined in RFC 7231 Section 6.5.5.

View on IANA HTTP Status Code Registry →