HTTP 508 Loop Detected is a WebDAV status code indicating the server terminated the operation because it detected an infinite loop. This occurs during PROPFIND or similar operations when a resource references itself in its bindings.
Status
508 Loop DetectedExample
Request
GET /folder HTTP/1.1
Host: www.example.com
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0
Accept: text/htmlResponse
HTTP/1.1 508 Loop Detected
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: 197
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>508 Loop Detected</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Loop Detected</h1>
<p>The server detected an infinite loop while processing your request and was unable to complete it.</p>
</body>
</html>How to Troubleshoot
1
Identify the circular reference
Examine the resource's bindings to find and break the circular reference.
2
Limit recursion depth
Configure the WebDAV server to limit recursion depth on PROPFIND requests.
Common Causes
Circular WebDAV bindings
highA WebDAV resource contains a binding that creates a circular reference, causing infinite recursion.
Related Status Codes
References
| Specification | Section |
|---|---|
| Binding Extensions to Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) | RFC 5842 §7.2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
This reference was compiled from official RFCs, protocol specifications, and hands-on troubleshooting experience. AI tools were used primarily for formatting and organizing the content on the page.