Which HTTP status code is best to serve when your site is down for maintence?

[petersonangela]

Which HTTP status code is best to serve when your site is down for maintence?

[GeethaN]

The best HTTP status code for your maintenance page is "503 Service Unavailable": The server is currently unable to handle the request due to a temporary overloading or maintenance of the server. The implication is that this is a temporary condition which will be alleviated after some delay.

[ElizabethRGoff]

At Google Skyscraper

HTTP 503 - Service Unavailable
4 Answers. HTTP 503 - Service Unavailable would be the most appropriate. The Web server (running the Web site) is currently unable to handle the HTTP request due to a temporary overloading or maintenance of the server.

[chandrao7]

The best HTTP status code for your maintenance page is "503 Service Unavailable": The server is currently unable to handle the request due to a temporary overloading or maintenance of the server. The implication is that this is a temporary condition which will be alleviated after some delay.

[jayammrg]

503 Service Unavailable - The server is currently unavailable (this could be due to overload or maintenance). Search engines will know that this is a temporary state. This status code should be used when taking down a site for maintenance.

[jayammrg]

to create another app on the same web server.
create httpmodule or httphandler to handle any url request and 302 redirect them to the maintenance page.

[seo.gops]

503 service unavailable HTTP status
If you absolutely have to serve a 5XX error message, for example when you're taking a site down for maintenance, you should always use the 503 service unavailable HTTP status code.