Best Practices for Error Handling in APIs

TechieBundle | By Shivam Singh Technology | Published Dec 22 2023

Error Handling in APIs

[{"selector":"#anim-93548e79-1bcf-460a-b573-0d20ae4b9fbd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e8b1154d-88bd-49d7-8782-b985e0e24091","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 183.38522%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6dc4e3c2-917f-41db-afe2-9a61ba165727","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bde6a83d-28a9-418f-b9ec-4c7690bf701c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Error handling is a crucial aspect of designing and developing APIs to ensure robustness, reliability, and a positive user experience. Here are some best practices for error handling in APIs.

Use standard codes for success and errors (4xx and 5xx).

[{"selector":"#anim-81a18683-2e50-4a22-a79e-dbb2b6428a3f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-29acdb90-d9e7-491e-97ba-72ce580974ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 196.73194%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-40611357-4985-444e-9501-48ecba8c9e8b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb66a9ba-a561-45d1-9bae-7e0587cd0fe4","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Provide concise, informative error messages.

[{"selector":"#anim-242f2b0e-fcc5-425e-8a59-bf15dd3a20b3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-31777524-75a1-483c-80cd-945645858864","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 293.37233%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d349711c-923b-43c5-84c1-f5c562e20d3e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cc64b5ed-a554-46c2-b41e-4207162209ad","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Maintain a standardized error response format.

[{"selector":"#anim-3fa4f339-5490-4cf8-9d06-30038279fab1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1493b5d9-f745-4f8b-a537-23a51944700b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 293.37233%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f2aa435f-f500-49c6-8900-29b6de9d79ac","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f6ba839c-9084-42a8-9731-3f6537db64df","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Implement and communicate rate limits.

[{"selector":"#anim-69955e31-fd65-488e-bbb0-0bfb79ebd2c4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b1128dd1-97f6-44ab-a1fc-31d523966ea0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 293.37233%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2491ea6d-1f70-4360-bd4c-918b14d14731","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-65bd7da8-c5a0-423e-9869-f659292c423e","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Specify if and when clients can retry requests.

[{"selector":"#anim-8ecfed15-b21b-476f-b798-ebb5937267f5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e90d072b-c0ab-4066-85c5-cd8c6b0ad633","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 293.37233%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4d32ad18-43a7-47eb-8d12-765feaf02fb3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2093af5b-a693-4d17-973b-7f664d233bfe","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Log errors for debugging and monitoring.

[{"selector":"#anim-337c6a1d-b75e-4899-b7fc-1102e0e87ff8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac456853-1d34-4921-8367-88e1f7e4f6d4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 293.37233%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e18e6446-679a-444c-9d87-500d5d16d3e3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a36f9a4-7ef4-49b1-9ae5-6558b11707ac","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Support OPTIONS method for error info retrieval.

[{"selector":"#anim-7a908c67-8e34-4552-a525-b17266017523","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-48ec46f3-c3eb-4190-b1fa-9efe1adf9853","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 293.37233%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-195aa1c0-48d3-4355-afa8-41979fc1cd0a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-71fe0212-bf10-4b5f-8bc6-5cc9f4c412c6","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Include links for error recovery or more info.

[{"selector":"#anim-395eed92-c5bf-4d1e-9c5a-b0c01432ffa2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8dfae7d2-7a07-4c4f-a98f-ae38980e87d8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 293.37233%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f3b75c99-57e9-445a-8686-6fda9dfe1a65","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-280b6d90-fe98-4497-b2a8-0425b4406b26","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Clearly document all error scenarios and resolutions.

[{"selector":"#anim-fb6fafd1-b005-4b6c-84e4-fb89e90a4eb8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7bdb682a-7a13-47df-ba73-456b8fc6d672","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 293.37233%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e31b161-03f7-4d28-90be-eaf75628710a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a00e176f-0fef-4985-a02d-be80b831cf7b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Best Practices for Error Handling in APIs

Error Handling in APIs

Use standard codes for success and errors (4xx and 5xx).

HTTP Status Codes

Provide concise, informative error messages.

Clear Messages

Maintain a standardized error response format.

Consistent Format

Implement and communicate rate limits.

Rate Limiting

Specify if and when clients can retry requests.

Retry Information

Log errors for debugging and monitoring.

Logging and Monitoring

Support OPTIONS method for error info retrieval.

HTTP OPTIONS

Include links for error recovery or more info.

HATEOAS

Clearly document all error scenarios and resolutions.

Documentation

7 Hidden Features of Truecaller You Should Know About