413
4xx Client ErrorPayload Too Large
The request body is larger than the server is willing to process.
413 Payload Too Large (once called Request Entity Too Large) means the body exceeds a server limit - common when uploading files. The cap is often set by the web server or a proxy in front of your app, not the app itself, so check there first.
What 413 looks like on the wire
POST /api/avatars HTTP/1.1
Host: api.example.com
Content-Length: 26214400
HTTP/1.1 413 Payload Too Large
Content-Type: application/json
{"error": "Uploads are limited to 10 MB"}About 4xx Client Error
The request has a problem the client needs to fix, like a bad URL, missing auth, or invalid input.
How to fix 413 Payload Too Large
- Raise the upload limit (e.g. client_max_body_size in nginx).
- Check limits on any proxy, load balancer, or CDN in front of the app.
- For large files, use chunked or multipart uploads.
Tools that help with 413
Where it's defined
413 Payload Too Large is defined in RFC 9110 §15.5.14. MDN's 413 reference covers browser behavior and examples.