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506 Variant Also Negotiates

The HTTP 506 Variant Also Negotiates status code indicates that the server configuration contains an internal negotiation error.

Published 16 Jul 2026 · HTTP Status Code

What is HTTP 506 Variant Also Negotiates?

The 506 Variant Also Negotiates response indicates a configuration problem with content negotiation.

It occurs when a server attempts to negotiate a representation of a resource but the selected variant is configured to perform further negotiation itself.

Common Causes

  • Incorrect server configuration
  • Invalid content negotiation rules
  • Misconfigured Apache modules

Why Does It Matter?

Although rare, 506 errors can indicate configuration mistakes in complex web servers.

Summary

The 506 Variant Also Negotiates response represents a server-side configuration issue during content negotiation.