Error Handling

Overview

The Veridox API uses conventional HTTP status codes and structured error responses to indicate the success or failure of requests. This guide covers common error patterns, recommended retry strategies, and best practices for robust error handling.

Consistent Error Format: All error responses follow a standardised schema with error_code, error_message, and optional error_details fields.

Error Response Format

All errors follow this consistent structure:

{
  "error_code": "string",
  "error_message": "string",
  "error_details": {
    // Additional context (optional)
  }
}

Error Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
`error_code`	string	Machine-readable error identifier for programmatic handling
`error_message`	string	Human-readable error description
`error_details`	object	Optional additional context (validation errors, retry info, etc.)

HTTP Status Codes

The API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate request outcomes:

Status Code	Meaning	Common Causes
200	OK	Request succeeded
201	Created	Resource created successfully
400	Bad Request	Malformed request body or invalid parameters
401	Unauthorised	Missing, invalid, or expired API key
403	Forbidden	Valid credentials but insufficient permissions
404	Not Found	Resource does not exist
409	Conflict	Request conflicts with current resource state
429	Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded
500	Internal Server Error	Server-side error occurred
503	Service Unavailable	Temporary server overload or maintenance

Common Error Types

Authentication Errors (401)

Authentication failures occur when API key validation fails.

Invalid API Key

{
  "error_code": "request.authentication.api-key.invalid",
  "error_message": "The provided API key is invalid."
}

Causes:

API key typo or formatting error
API key deleted or revoked
Wrong environment (staging vs production key)

Resolution:

Verify API key format and value

Regenerate API key if compromised

Ensure using correct environment key

Expired API Key

{
  "error_code": "request.authentication.api-key.expired",
  "error_message": "The API key has expired."
}

Causes:

API key reached expiration date
Organisation subscription expired

Resolution:

Generate new API key from dashboard

Update application configuration

Verify organisation subscription status

Invalid Membership

{
  "error_code": "request.authentication.api-key.membership.invalid",
  "error_message": "You do not have a valid membership associated with this API key."
}

Causes:

User removed from organisation
Organisation membership revoked
API key associated with deleted user

Resolution:

Verify organisation membership status

Contact organisation owner

Generate new API key if membership restored

Validation Errors (400)

Validation errors provide field-level feedback when request data is malformed or invalid.

Request Body Validation

{
  "error_code": "client.bad-request",
  "error_message": "The request body was malformed or contained invalid data.",
  "error_details": {
    "validation_errors": [
      {
        "field": "label",
        "message": "Invalid input: expected string, received undefined"
      },
      {
        "field": "expires_at",
        "message": "Expiration date must be in the future"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Handling Strategy:

Parse validation_errors array for field-specific issues

Display errors next to relevant form fields

Validate input client-side before submission

Log validation patterns to improve UX

Example Handler:

function handleValidationError(error) {
  if (error.error_details?.validation_errors) {
    const fieldErrors = {};

    error.error_details.validation_errors.forEach(({ field, message }) => {
      fieldErrors[field] = message;
    });

    return {
      type: 'validation',
      fields: fieldErrors
    };
  }

  return {
    type: 'generic',
    message: error.error_message
  };
}

Rate Limiting Errors (429)

Rate limits protect API infrastructure and ensure fair usage.

{
  "error_code": "request.rate-limit",
  "error_message": "Too many requests. Please try again later.",
  "error_details": {
    "retry_after": 60
  }
}

Rate Limits by Operation:

Operation	Limit	Scope	Window
Create case	10 requests	Per IP	Per minute
Create document request	10 requests	Per IP	Per minute
File analysis retrieval	300 requests	Per user	Per hour
List operations	30 requests	Per IP	Per minute
Risk confirmations	10 requests	Per user	Per minute
Progress polling	600 requests	Per API key	Per hour

Handling Strategy:

Implement exponential backoff retry logic

Respect retry_after header when provided

Use Server-Sent Events instead of polling where possible

Cache responses to reduce redundant requests

Exponential Backoff Implementation:

async function retryWithBackoff(fn, maxRetries = 5) {
  let retries = 0;

  while (retries < maxRetries) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.status === 429) {
        retries++;

        // Extract retry_after or calculate exponential backoff
        const retryAfter = error.error_details?.retry_after ||
                          Math.min(1000 * Math.pow(2, retries), 60000);

        console.log(`Rate limited. Retrying after ${retryAfter}ms (attempt ${retries}/${maxRetries})`);

        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, retryAfter));
      } else {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }

  throw new Error('Max retries exceeded');
}

// Usage
const caseData = await retryWithBackoff(() =>
  fetch('https://api.{region}.veridox.ai/cases', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'X-API-Key': apiKey },
    body: JSON.stringify({ label: 'Customer #123', file_labels: ['id.pdf'] })
  }).then(res => res.json())
);

Resource Errors (404, 409)

Resource Not Found (404)

{
  "error_code": "resource.not-found",
  "error_message": "The requested resource was not found."
}

Common Causes:

Case ID, file ID, or request ID doesn’t exist
Resource deleted before request
Typo in resource identifier

Handling Strategy:

Validate UUIDs before making requests

Implement graceful fallback for missing resources

Cache resource existence checks

Resource Conflict (409)

{
  "error_code": "resource.conflict.case-locked",
  "error_message": "Cannot add files to a locked case. The case is already processing."
}

Common Scenarios:

Attempting to upload files to locked case
Duplicate operation detected
State transition not allowed

Handling Strategy:

Check resource state before operations

Create new case if existing case is locked

Implement idempotency where possible

Server Errors (500, 503)

Internal Server Error (500)

{
  "error_code": "server.internal-error",
  "error_message": "An unexpected error occurred. Please try again later."
}

Causes:

Unexpected server-side exception
Database connectivity issues
Processing pipeline failures

Handling Strategy:

Retry after short delay (2-5 seconds)

Log full error context for debugging

Contact support if error persists

Implement fallback or degraded mode

Service Unavailable (503)

{
  "error_code": "server.unavailable",
  "error_message": "Service temporarily unavailable. Please retry after indicated time.",
  "error_details": {
    "retry_after": 120
  }
}

Causes:

Scheduled maintenance
Temporary overload
Infrastructure scaling

Handling Strategy:

Display maintenance message to users

Retry after specified delay

Queue operations for later processing

Error Handling Best Practices

Comprehensive Error Handler

class VeridoxAPIClient {
  constructor(apiKey, baseUrl = 'https://api.{region}.veridox.ai') {
    this.apiKey = apiKey;
    this.baseUrl = baseUrl;
  }

  async request(endpoint, options = {}) {
    const url = `${this.baseUrl}${endpoint}`;

    try {
      const response = await fetch(url, {
        ...options,
        headers: {
          'X-API-Key': this.apiKey,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
          ...options.headers
        }
      });

      // Parse response
      const data = await response.json();

      // Handle success
      if (response.ok) {
        return data;
      }

      // Handle errors
      return this.handleError(response.status, data);

    } catch (error) {
      // Network errors
      if (error.name === 'TypeError' || error.name === 'NetworkError') {
        throw {
          type: 'network',
          message: 'Network connection failed. Please check your internet connection.',
          originalError: error
        };
      }

      throw error;
    }
  }

  handleError(status, errorData) {
    const error = {
      status,
      code: errorData.error_code,
      message: errorData.error_message,
      details: errorData.error_details
    };

    switch (status) {
      case 400:
        return this.handleValidationError(error);
      case 401:
        return this.handleAuthError(error);
      case 404:
        return this.handleNotFoundError(error);
      case 409:
        return this.handleConflictError(error);
      case 429:
        return this.handleRateLimitError(error);
      case 500:
      case 503:
        return this.handleServerError(error);
      default:
        throw error;
    }
  }

  handleValidationError(error) {
    throw {
      type: 'validation',
      message: 'Request validation failed',
      fields: error.details?.validation_errors || [],
      originalError: error
    };
  }

  handleAuthError(error) {
    throw {
      type: 'authentication',
      message: 'Authentication failed. Please check your API key.',
      code: error.code,
      originalError: error
    };
  }

  handleNotFoundError(error) {
    throw {
      type: 'not_found',
      message: 'Resource not found',
      originalError: error
    };
  }

  handleConflictError(error) {
    throw {
      type: 'conflict',
      message: error.message,
      code: error.code,
      originalError: error
    };
  }

  handleRateLimitError(error) {
    const retryAfter = error.details?.retry_after || 60;

    throw {
      type: 'rate_limit',
      message: `Rate limit exceeded. Retry after ${retryAfter} seconds.`,
      retryAfter,
      originalError: error
    };
  }

  handleServerError(error) {
    throw {
      type: 'server_error',
      message: 'Server error occurred. Please try again later.',
      retryable: true,
      originalError: error
    };
  }
}

// Usage with error handling
const client = new VeridoxAPIClient('vdx_your_api_key');

try {
  const caseData = await client.request('/cases', {
    method: 'POST',
    body: JSON.stringify({
      label: 'Customer Verification #12345',
      file_labels: ['passport.pdf', 'utility_bill.pdf']
    })
  });

  console.log('Case created:', caseData.case_id);

} catch (error) {
  switch (error.type) {
    case 'validation':
      console.error('Validation failed:', error.fields);
      // Display field-specific errors in UI
      break;

    case 'authentication':
      console.error('Auth failed:', error.message);
      // Redirect to login or API key configuration
      break;

    case 'rate_limit':
      console.error('Rate limited:', error.message);
      // Wait and retry
      await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, error.retryAfter * 1000));
      break;

    case 'server_error':
      console.error('Server error:', error.message);
      // Retry with exponential backoff
      break;

    case 'network':
      console.error('Network error:', error.message);
      // Display offline message
      break;

    default:
      console.error('Unexpected error:', error);
  }
}

React Error Boundary

import { Component } from 'react';

class APIErrorBoundary extends Component {
  state = { hasError: false, error: null };

  static getDerivedStateFromError(error) {
    return { hasError: true, error };
  }

  render() {
    if (this.state.hasError) {
      const { error } = this.state;

      if (error.type === 'authentication') {
        return (
          <div className="error-auth">
            <h2>Authentication Required</h2>
            <p>Please check your API key configuration.</p>
            <button onClick={() => window.location.reload()}>
              Retry
            </button>
          </div>
        );
      }

      if (error.type === 'rate_limit') {
        return (
          <div className="error-rate-limit">
            <h2>Rate Limit Exceeded</h2>
            <p>Please wait {error.retryAfter} seconds before retrying.</p>
          </div>
        );
      }

      return (
        <div className="error-generic">
          <h2>Something went wrong</h2>
          <p>{error.message || 'An unexpected error occurred'}</p>
          <button onClick={() => this.setState({ hasError: false, error: null })}>
            Try Again
          </button>
        </div>
      );
    }

    return this.props.children;
  }
}

Error Handling Guidelines

Design Principles

Fail gracefully - Provide clear error messages and recovery paths

Be specific - Use error_code for programmatic handling, not just status codes

Retry intelligently - Implement exponential backoff for transient errors

Log comprehensively - Capture full error context for debugging

User Experience

User-friendly messages - Translate technical errors into actionable guidance

Show progress - Display retry countdown or progress indicators

Provide alternatives - Offer fallback options when primary action fails

Don’t expose internals - Hide technical details from end users

Monitoring and Debugging

Track error rates - Monitor error types and frequencies

Set up alerts - Get notified of unusual error patterns

Log context - Include request IDs, timestamps, and user actions

Correlate errors - Group related errors for root cause analysis

Security Considerations

Don’t leak data - Avoid exposing sensitive information in error messages

Rate limit retries - Prevent abuse through excessive retry attempts

Validate client-side - Reduce unnecessary API calls with validation

Sanitise error logs - Remove PII before logging error details

Common Troubleshooting

API Key Issues

Symptom: Consistent 401 errors Checklist:

Verify API key format (vdx_ prefix)
Check environment (staging vs production)
Confirm organisation membership
Test with newly generated key

Rate Limiting

Symptom: Frequent 429 errors Solutions:

Implement request queueing
Use Server-Sent Events instead of polling
Cache API responses
Batch operations where possible

Timeout Errors

Symptom: Requests timing out Causes:

Large file uploads
Complex analysis operations
Network connectivity issues

Solutions:

Increase timeout thresholds
Use progress monitoring endpoints
Split large batches into smaller chunks

Validation Failures

Symptom: Consistent 400 errors Solutions:

Review API documentation for field requirements
Validate input formats (email, UUID, ISO dates)
Check field length limits
Ensure required fields are provided

API Reference

Complete endpoint documentation with example requests

Quickstart Guide

Step-by-step tutorial with error handling examples

Rate Limiting

Detailed rate limit information by endpoint

Authentication

API key validation and authentication testing

Getting Started

Core Features

Resources

Overview

Error Response Format

Error Response Fields

HTTP Status Codes

Common Error Types

Authentication Errors (401)

Invalid API Key

Expired API Key

Invalid Membership

Validation Errors (400)

Request Body Validation

Rate Limiting Errors (429)

Resource Errors (404, 409)

Resource Not Found (404)

Resource Conflict (409)

Server Errors (500, 503)

Internal Server Error (500)

Service Unavailable (503)

Error Handling Best Practices

Comprehensive Error Handler

React Error Boundary

Error Handling Guidelines

Design Principles

User Experience

Monitoring and Debugging

Security Considerations

Common Troubleshooting

API Key Issues

Rate Limiting

Timeout Errors

Validation Failures

API Reference

Quickstart Guide

Rate Limiting

Authentication

​Overview

​Error Response Format

​Error Response Fields

​HTTP Status Codes

​Common Error Types

​Authentication Errors (401)

​Invalid API Key

​Expired API Key

​Invalid Membership

​Validation Errors (400)

​Request Body Validation

​Rate Limiting Errors (429)

​Resource Errors (404, 409)

​Resource Not Found (404)

​Resource Conflict (409)

​Server Errors (500, 503)

​Internal Server Error (500)

​Service Unavailable (503)

​Error Handling Best Practices

​Comprehensive Error Handler

​React Error Boundary

​Error Handling Guidelines

​Design Principles

​User Experience

​Monitoring and Debugging

​Security Considerations

​Common Troubleshooting

​API Key Issues

​Rate Limiting

​Timeout Errors

​Validation Failures

​Related Resources

API Reference

Quickstart Guide

Rate Limiting

Authentication

Overview

Error Response Format

Error Response Fields

HTTP Status Codes

Common Error Types

Authentication Errors (401)

Invalid API Key

Expired API Key

Invalid Membership

Validation Errors (400)

Request Body Validation

Rate Limiting Errors (429)

Resource Errors (404, 409)

Resource Not Found (404)

Resource Conflict (409)

Server Errors (500, 503)

Internal Server Error (500)

Service Unavailable (503)

Error Handling Best Practices

Comprehensive Error Handler

React Error Boundary

Error Handling Guidelines

Design Principles

User Experience

Monitoring and Debugging

Security Considerations

Common Troubleshooting

API Key Issues

Rate Limiting

Timeout Errors

Validation Failures

Related Resources