The request is larger than the server is willing or able to process.
What does HTTP 413 mean?
The 413 Payload Too Large code is part of the 4XX class. This is a client error code — the request was faulty, unauthorized, or cannot be fulfilled. The problem is on the request side.
When is it used?
A server returns 413 Payload Too Large in situations matching the definition above. You will encounter it inspecting network requests, reading logs, or testing an API. Whether it signals a problem depends on its class: 2xx and 3xx are normal, while 4xx and 5xx usually need attention on the client or server respectively.