caddy-website/src/docs/markdown/caddyfile/directives/respond.md

---
title: respond (Caddyfile directive)
---

# respond

Writes a hard-coded/static response to the client.


## Syntax

```
respond [<matcher>] <status>|<body> [<status>] {
	body <text>
	close
}
```

- **&lt;status&gt;** is the HTTP status code to write. Default 200.
- **&lt;body&gt;** is the response body to write.
- **body** is an alternate way to provide a body; convenient if it is multiple lines.
- **close** will close the client's connection to the server after writing the response.

To clarify, the first non-matcher argument can be either a 3-digit status code or a response body string. If it is a body, the next argument can be the status code.

<aside class="tip">
	Responding with an error status code is different than returning an error in the handler chain, which invokes error handlers internally.
</aside>


## Examples

Write a 200 status with an empty body to all health checks:

```
respond /health-check 200
```

Write a simple response body to all requests:

```
respond "Hello, world!"
```

Write an error response and close the connection:

```
respond /secret/* "Access denied" 403 {
	close
}
```
Initial commit 2020-01-24 12:47:52 -07:00			`---`
			`title: respond (Caddyfile directive)`
			`---`

			`# respond`

			`Writes a hard-coded/static response to the client.`


			`## Syntax`

			```
			`respond [<matcher>] <status>\|<body> [<status>] {`
			`body <text>`
			`close`
			`}`
			```

			`- <status> is the HTTP status code to write. Default 200.`
			`- <body> is the response body to write.`
			`- body is an alternate way to provide a body; convenient if it is multiple lines.`
			`- close will close the client's connection to the server after writing the response.`

			`To clarify, the first non-matcher argument can be either a 3-digit status code or a response body string. If it is a body, the next argument can be the status code.`

docs: All-new design, along with many content updates in prep for RC1 2020-03-30 15:38:40 -06:00			`<aside class="tip">`
			`Responding with an error status code is different than returning an error in the handler chain, which invokes error handlers internally.`
			`</aside>`

Initial commit 2020-01-24 12:47:52 -07:00
			`## Examples`

			`Write a 200 status with an empty body to all health checks:`

			```
			`respond /health-check 200`
			```

			`Write a simple response body to all requests:`

			```
			`respond "Hello, world!"`
			```

			`Write an error response and close the connection:`

			```
			`respond /secret/* "Access denied" 403 {`
			`close`
			`}`
			```