diff --git a/routers/api/v1/org/action.go b/routers/api/v1/org/action.go
index 700a5ef8ea852..9c68f32962776 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/org/action.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/org/action.go
@@ -384,13 +384,11 @@ func (Action) CreateVariable(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	//     "$ref": "#/definitions/CreateVariableOption"
 	// responses:
 	//   "201":
-	//     description: response when creating an org-level variable
-	//   "204":
-	//     description: response when creating an org-level variable
+	//     description: response when creating a repo-level variable
 	//   "400":
 	//     "$ref": "#/responses/error"
-	//   "404":
-	//     "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+	//   "409":
+	//     description: variable name already exists.
 
 	opt := web.GetForm(ctx).(*api.CreateVariableOption)
 
@@ -419,7 +417,7 @@ func (Action) CreateVariable(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	ctx.Status(http.StatusNoContent)
+	ctx.Status(http.StatusCreated)
 }
 
 // UpdateVariable update an org-level variable
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/action.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/action.go
index 237250b2c5e61..af9e9a2c73313 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/action.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/action.go
@@ -339,12 +339,10 @@ func (Action) CreateVariable(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	// responses:
 	//   "201":
 	//     description: response when creating a repo-level variable
-	//   "204":
-	//     description: response when creating a repo-level variable
 	//   "400":
 	//     "$ref": "#/responses/error"
-	//   "404":
-	//     "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+	//   "409":
+	//     description: variable name already exists.
 
 	opt := web.GetForm(ctx).(*api.CreateVariableOption)
 
@@ -373,7 +371,7 @@ func (Action) CreateVariable(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	ctx.Status(http.StatusNoContent)
+	ctx.Status(http.StatusCreated)
 }
 
 // UpdateVariable update a repo-level variable
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/user/action.go b/routers/api/v1/user/action.go
index 04097fcc95b3f..cc95edb8a6190 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/user/action.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/user/action.go
@@ -127,13 +127,11 @@ func CreateVariable(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	//     "$ref": "#/definitions/CreateVariableOption"
 	// responses:
 	//   "201":
-	//     description: response when creating a variable
-	//   "204":
-	//     description: response when creating a variable
+	//     description: response when creating a repo-level variable
 	//   "400":
 	//     "$ref": "#/responses/error"
-	//   "404":
-	//     "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+	//   "409":
+	//     description: variable name already exists.
 
 	opt := web.GetForm(ctx).(*api.CreateVariableOption)
 
@@ -162,7 +160,7 @@ func CreateVariable(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	ctx.Status(http.StatusNoContent)
+	ctx.Status(http.StatusCreated)
 }
 
 // UpdateVariable update a user-level variable which is created by current doer
diff --git a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
index c97e52566050f..e2f99f8ee9d8a 100644
--- a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
+++ b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
@@ -2259,16 +2259,13 @@
         ],
         "responses": {
           "201": {
-            "description": "response when creating an org-level variable"
-          },
-          "204": {
-            "description": "response when creating an org-level variable"
+            "description": "response when creating a repo-level variable"
           },
           "400": {
             "$ref": "#/responses/error"
           },
-          "404": {
-            "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+          "409": {
+            "description": "variable name already exists."
           }
         }
       },
@@ -5263,14 +5260,11 @@
           "201": {
             "description": "response when creating a repo-level variable"
           },
-          "204": {
-            "description": "response when creating a repo-level variable"
-          },
           "400": {
             "$ref": "#/responses/error"
           },
-          "404": {
-            "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+          "409": {
+            "description": "variable name already exists."
           }
         }
       },
@@ -17863,16 +17857,13 @@
         ],
         "responses": {
           "201": {
-            "description": "response when creating a variable"
-          },
-          "204": {
-            "description": "response when creating a variable"
+            "description": "response when creating a repo-level variable"
           },
           "400": {
             "$ref": "#/responses/error"
           },
-          "404": {
-            "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+          "409": {
+            "description": "variable name already exists."
           }
         }
       },
diff --git a/tests/integration/api_repo_variables_test.go b/tests/integration/api_repo_variables_test.go
index 7847962b07d89..b5c88af279ae8 100644
--- a/tests/integration/api_repo_variables_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/api_repo_variables_test.go
@@ -35,11 +35,11 @@ func TestAPIRepoVariables(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			{
 				Name:           "_",
-				ExpectedStatus: http.StatusNoContent,
+				ExpectedStatus: http.StatusCreated,
 			},
 			{
 				Name:           "TEST_VAR",
-				ExpectedStatus: http.StatusNoContent,
+				ExpectedStatus: http.StatusCreated,
 			},
 			{
 				Name:           "test_var",
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func TestAPIRepoVariables(t *testing.T) {
 		req := NewRequestWithJSON(t, "POST", url, api.CreateVariableOption{
 			Value: "initial_val",
 		}).AddTokenAuth(token)
-		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNoContent)
+		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusCreated)
 
 		cases := []struct {
 			Name           string
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func TestAPIRepoVariables(t *testing.T) {
 		req := NewRequestWithJSON(t, "POST", url, api.CreateVariableOption{
 			Value: "initial_val",
 		}).AddTokenAuth(token)
-		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNoContent)
+		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusCreated)
 
 		req = NewRequest(t, "DELETE", url).AddTokenAuth(token)
 		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNoContent)
diff --git a/tests/integration/api_user_variables_test.go b/tests/integration/api_user_variables_test.go
index 367b83e7d4061..d430c9e21d6a1 100644
--- a/tests/integration/api_user_variables_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/api_user_variables_test.go
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ func TestAPIUserVariables(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			{
 				Name:           "_",
-				ExpectedStatus: http.StatusNoContent,
+				ExpectedStatus: http.StatusCreated,
 			},
 			{
 				Name:           "TEST_VAR",
-				ExpectedStatus: http.StatusNoContent,
+				ExpectedStatus: http.StatusCreated,
 			},
 			{
 				Name:           "test_var",
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func TestAPIUserVariables(t *testing.T) {
 		req := NewRequestWithJSON(t, "POST", url, api.CreateVariableOption{
 			Value: "initial_val",
 		}).AddTokenAuth(token)
-		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNoContent)
+		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusCreated)
 
 		cases := []struct {
 			Name           string
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ func TestAPIUserVariables(t *testing.T) {
 		req := NewRequestWithJSON(t, "POST", url, api.CreateVariableOption{
 			Value: "initial_val",
 		}).AddTokenAuth(token)
-		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNoContent)
+		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusCreated)
 
 		req = NewRequest(t, "DELETE", url).AddTokenAuth(token)
 		MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNoContent)