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CDN:Am I charged if the requested POP returns an HTTP 4xx status code?

Last Updated:Apr 01, 2026

Yes. When a CDN point of presence (POP) returns an HTTP 4xx status code, Alibaba Cloud charges you for the traffic and bandwidth consumed.

Access control features — Referer-based hotlink protection, URL authentication, remote authentication, IP address blacklist or whitelist, and User-Agent blacklist or whitelist — let you block unauthorized requests at the POP. When a request matches a rule, the POP rejects it and returns a 4xx status code. This process consumes two types of resources:

  • CPU resources — consumed when the POP processes the incoming request

  • Traffic and bandwidth — consumed when the POP sends back the 4xx response

These resources are consumed regardless of whether the request is authorized, so the charges apply.

If your accelerated domain name receives a large volume of unauthorized requests, unexpected high bills can accumulate even with access control rules in place. To cap your exposure, configure high bill alerts.