Common API error codes

Understanding error responses helps you debug issues quickly. Here are the most common errors you'll encounter.

400 Bad Request

{
  "error": "media_id is required"
}

Causes:

• Missing required parameter

• Invalid parameter format

• Malformed JSON

Fix: Check your request body matches the API specification at api.cathopic.com/docs.

401 Unauthorized

{
  "message": "Unauthorized"
}
or
{
  "error": "Unauthorized token"
}

Causes:

• Missing or invalid API key

• Deactivated API key

• Wrong header name

Fix: Verify your x-api-key header is correct and the key is active in Settings → API.

404 Not Found

{
  "error": "No file found for media_id 1234"
}
or
{
  "error": "Media item not found"
}

Causes:

• Resource doesn't exist

• Resource has been deleted

• Wrong media_id

Fix: Verify the media_id exists by searching first with /resources.

429 Too Many Requests

{
  "error": "Limit exceed."
}

Causes:

• Too many requests in short time

• Rate limit exceeded

Fix: Implement exponential backoff. Wait and retry with increasing delays (1s, 2s, 4s, etc.).

500 Internal Server Error

{
  "error": "Internal server error"
}

Causes:

• Temporary server issue

• Unexpected condition

Fix: Wait a moment and retry. If it persists, contact support.

Error handling example

async function searchWithErrorHandling(query) {
  try {
    const response = await fetch('https://api.cathopic.com/resources', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'x-api-key': apiKey,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({ query, page: 1, page_size: 20 })
    });
    
    if (!response.ok) {
      const error = await response.json();
      
      switch (response.status) {
        case 400:
          console.error('Bad request:', error);
          break;
        case 401:
          console.error('Unauthorized. Check your API key.');
          break;
        case 404:
          console.error('Resource not found:', error);
          break;
        case 429:
          console.error('Rate limited. Implementing backoff...');
          await sleep(5000);
          return searchWithErrorHandling(query); // Retry
        case 500:
          console.error('Server error. Retrying in 10s...');
          await sleep(10000);
          return searchWithErrorHandling(query);
        default:
          console.error('Unknown error:', error);
      }
      
      throw new Error(`API error: ${response.status}`);
    }
    
    return await response.json();
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Request failed:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

For persistent errors, check the full API documentation or contact support.