Error Handling

SaludYa API uses standard HTTP status codes and provides detailed error responses to help you diagnose and resolve issues quickly. This guide covers error formats, common error scenarios, and best practices for error handling.

Error Response Format

All error responses follow a consistent JSON structure:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "ERROR_CODE",
    "message": "Human-readable error description",
    "details": {
      "field": "Additional context about the error"
    },
    "timestamp": "2026-03-06T10:30:00Z",
    "requestId": "req_1234567890abcdef"
  }
}

Error Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
`success`	boolean	Always `false` for error responses
`error.code`	string	Machine-readable error code for programmatic handling
`error.message`	string	Human-readable error description
`error.details`	object	Additional context (validation errors, field-specific issues)
`error.timestamp`	string	ISO 8601 timestamp when the error occurred
`error.requestId`	string	Unique identifier for tracking and debugging

Include the requestId when contacting support to help us diagnose issues faster.

HTTP Status Codes

SaludYa API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate the outcome of requests:

2xx Success

Code	Status	Description
200	OK	Request succeeded
201	Created	Resource created successfully
204	No Content	Request succeeded with no response body

4xx Client Errors

Code	Status	Description	Common Causes
400	Bad Request	Invalid request format or parameters	Missing required fields, invalid data types
401	Unauthorized	Authentication required or failed	Missing/invalid API key or token
403	Forbidden	Insufficient permissions	User role lacks access to resource
404	Not Found	Resource doesn’t exist	Invalid appointment ID, deleted record
409	Conflict	Request conflicts with current state	Duplicate appointment, scheduling conflict
422	Unprocessable Entity	Validation failed	Business rule violation
429	Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded	Too many requests in time window

5xx Server Errors

Code	Status	Description	Action
500	Internal Server Error	Unexpected server error	Retry request, contact support if persists
502	Bad Gateway	Upstream service error	Temporary issue, retry with backoff
503	Service Unavailable	Service temporarily down	Check status page, retry later
504	Gateway Timeout	Request timeout	Retry with exponential backoff

Error Code Reference

Authentication Errors (401)

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "UNAUTHORIZED",
    "message": "Authentication credentials are missing or invalid",
    "timestamp": "2026-03-06T10:30:00Z",
    "requestId": "req_abc123"
  }
}

Error Code	Description	Solution
`UNAUTHORIZED`	No authentication provided	Include API key or bearer token
`INVALID_API_KEY`	API key is invalid or revoked	Verify API key, regenerate if needed
`TOKEN_EXPIRED`	JWT token has expired	Refresh token or re-authenticate
`TOKEN_INVALID`	JWT token is malformed or invalid	Obtain new token through login

Authorization Errors (403)

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "FORBIDDEN",
    "message": "You do not have permission to access this resource",
    "details": {
      "requiredRole": "doctor",
      "currentRole": "patient"
    },
    "timestamp": "2026-03-06T10:30:00Z",
    "requestId": "req_def456"
  }
}

Error Code	Description	Solution
`FORBIDDEN`	Insufficient permissions	Check user role requirements
`INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS`	API key lacks required scope	Update API key permissions
`RESOURCE_ACCESS_DENIED`	Cannot access specific resource	Verify ownership or permissions

Validation Errors (400, 422)

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "Request validation failed",
    "details": {
      "fields": [
        {
          "field": "dateTime",
          "message": "Appointment date must be in the future",
          "value": "2026-03-01T10:00:00Z"
        },
        {
          "field": "doctorId",
          "message": "Doctor ID is required",
          "value": null
        }
      ]
    },
    "timestamp": "2026-03-06T10:30:00Z",
    "requestId": "req_ghi789"
  }
}

Error Code	Description	Example
`VALIDATION_ERROR`	Request data failed validation	Missing required fields, invalid format
`INVALID_DATE_TIME`	Date/time format or value invalid	Past date, invalid ISO format
`INVALID_PATIENT_ID`	Patient identifier is invalid	Non-existent patient ID
`INVALID_DOCTOR_ID`	Doctor identifier is invalid	Non-existent doctor ID

Business Logic Errors (409, 422)

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "SCHEDULING_CONFLICT",
    "message": "Doctor is not available at the requested time",
    "details": {
      "doctorId": "doc_67890",
      "requestedTime": "2026-03-15T14:00:00Z",
      "conflictingAppointmentId": "apt_11111",
      "availableSlots": [
        "2026-03-15T15:00:00Z",
        "2026-03-15T16:00:00Z"
      ]
    },
    "timestamp": "2026-03-06T10:30:00Z",
    "requestId": "req_jkl012"
  }
}

Error Code	Description	Context
`SCHEDULING_CONFLICT`	Appointment slot unavailable	Doctor already booked, patient has conflict
`DOCTOR_UNAVAILABLE`	Doctor not available	Outside working hours, on leave
`APPOINTMENT_NOT_CANCELLABLE`	Cannot cancel appointment	Less than 24 hours before appointment
`DUPLICATE_APPOINTMENT`	Appointment already exists	Same patient, doctor, and time
`INVALID_STATUS_TRANSITION`	Cannot change appointment status	Invalid state transition (e.g., cancelled to confirmed)

Resource Errors (404)

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND",
    "message": "Appointment not found",
    "details": {
      "resource": "appointment",
      "id": "apt_99999"
    },
    "timestamp": "2026-03-06T10:30:00Z",
    "requestId": "req_mno345"
  }
}

Error Code	Description
`RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND`	Requested resource doesn’t exist
`APPOINTMENT_NOT_FOUND`	Appointment ID not found
`PATIENT_NOT_FOUND`	Patient ID not found
`DOCTOR_NOT_FOUND`	Doctor ID not found

Rate Limiting Errors (429)

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded. Please try again later.",
    "details": {
      "limit": 100,
      "remaining": 0,
      "resetAt": "2026-03-06T11:00:00Z"
    },
    "timestamp": "2026-03-06T10:30:00Z",
    "requestId": "req_pqr678"
  }
}

Default rate limits: 100 requests per minute for authenticated requests, 20 requests per minute for unauthenticated requests.

Rate limit headers are included in all responses:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 100
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 45
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1709726400

Error Handling Flow

Best Practices for Error Handling

Client-Side Error Handling

// Comprehensive error handling example
const axios = require('axios');

class SaludYaClient {
  constructor(apiKey) {
    this.apiKey = apiKey;
    this.baseURL = 'https://api.saludya.com/v1';
  }

  async createAppointment(appointmentData) {
    try {
      const response = await axios.post(
        `${this.baseURL}/appointments`,
        appointmentData,
        {
          headers: {
            'X-API-Key': this.apiKey,
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
          }
        }
      );

      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      return this.handleError(error);
    }
  }

  handleError(error) {
    if (!error.response) {
      // Network error
      throw new Error('Network error: Please check your internet connection');
    }

    const { status, data } = error.response;
    const errorCode = data.error?.code;
    const errorMessage = data.error?.message;
    const requestId = data.error?.requestId;

    // Log for debugging
    console.error(`Error [${requestId}]:`, {
      status,
      code: errorCode,
      message: errorMessage
    });

    switch (status) {
      case 400:
        // Validation errors - show field-specific errors to user
        if (data.error?.details?.fields) {
          const fieldErrors = data.error.details.fields
            .map(f => `${f.field}: ${f.message}`)
            .join(', ');
          throw new Error(`Validation failed: ${fieldErrors}`);
        }
        throw new Error(errorMessage || 'Invalid request');

      case 401:
        // Authentication error - redirect to login or refresh token
        if (errorCode === 'TOKEN_EXPIRED') {
          return this.refreshTokenAndRetry(error.config);
        }
        throw new Error('Authentication required. Please log in.');

      case 403:
        // Authorization error - inform user of insufficient permissions
        throw new Error('You do not have permission to perform this action.');

      case 404:
        // Resource not found
        throw new Error('The requested resource was not found.');

      case 409:
        // Conflict - provide alternative options if available
        if (errorCode === 'SCHEDULING_CONFLICT') {
          const availableSlots = data.error?.details?.availableSlots;
          if (availableSlots) {
            throw new Error(
              `Time slot unavailable. Available times: ${availableSlots.join(', ')}`
            );
          }
        }
        throw new Error(errorMessage || 'Request conflicts with existing data');

      case 422:
        // Business rule validation
        throw new Error(errorMessage || 'Request cannot be processed');

      case 429:
        // Rate limit - implement exponential backoff
        const resetAt = data.error?.details?.resetAt;
        throw new Error(
          `Rate limit exceeded. Please try again at ${resetAt}`
        );

      case 500:
      case 502:
      case 503:
      case 504:
        // Server errors - retry with backoff
        throw new Error(
          `Service temporarily unavailable. Request ID: ${requestId}. Please try again later.`
        );

      default:
        throw new Error(`Unexpected error: ${errorMessage}`);
    }
  }

  async refreshTokenAndRetry(originalRequest) {
    // Implement token refresh logic
    // This is a placeholder
    throw new Error('Session expired. Please log in again.');
  }
}

// Usage
const client = new SaludYaClient(process.env.SALUDYA_API_KEY);

try {
  const appointment = await client.createAppointment({
    patientId: 'pat_12345',
    doctorId: 'doc_67890',
    dateTime: '2026-03-15T14:00:00Z',
    reason: 'Annual checkup'
  });
  console.log('Appointment created:', appointment);
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Failed to create appointment:', error.message);
  // Show error to user in UI
}

Retry Logic with Exponential Backoff

class RetryHelper {
  static async withRetry(fn, maxRetries = 3, baseDelay = 1000) {
    for (let attempt = 0; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
      try {
        return await fn();
      } catch (error) {
        const isRetryable = this.isRetryableError(error);
        const isLastAttempt = attempt === maxRetries;

        if (!isRetryable || isLastAttempt) {
          throw error;
        }

        // Exponential backoff: 1s, 2s, 4s, 8s...
        const delay = baseDelay * Math.pow(2, attempt);
        console.log(`Retry attempt ${attempt + 1} after ${delay}ms`);
        
        await this.sleep(delay);
      }
    }
  }

  static isRetryableError(error) {
    if (!error.response) {
      // Network errors are retryable
      return true;
    }

    const status = error.response.status;
    // Retry on server errors and rate limiting
    return status === 429 || status >= 500;
  }

  static sleep(ms) {
    return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
  }
}

// Usage
const appointment = await RetryHelper.withRetry(() =>
  client.createAppointment(appointmentData)
);

Server-Side Error Handling

// Custom error classes
class AppError extends Error {
  constructor(message, statusCode, errorCode, details = {}) {
    super(message);
    this.statusCode = statusCode;
    this.errorCode = errorCode;
    this.details = details;
    this.isOperational = true;
  }
}

class ValidationError extends AppError {
  constructor(message, fields = []) {
    super(message, 422, 'VALIDATION_ERROR', { fields });
  }
}

class SchedulingConflictError extends AppError {
  constructor(message, details) {
    super(message, 409, 'SCHEDULING_CONFLICT', details);
  }
}

// Error handling middleware
const errorHandler = (err, req, res, next) => {
  const requestId = req.id || generateRequestId();
  
  // Log error for monitoring
  console.error(`[${requestId}] Error:`, {
    error: err.message,
    stack: err.stack,
    url: req.url,
    method: req.method,
    user: req.user?.id
  });

  // Don't leak error details in production
  const isDevelopment = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development';

  if (err.isOperational) {
    // Operational error - safe to send to client
    return res.status(err.statusCode).json({
      success: false,
      error: {
        code: err.errorCode,
        message: err.message,
        details: err.details,
        timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
        requestId
      }
    });
  }

  // Programming or unknown error - don't leak details
  res.status(500).json({
    success: false,
    error: {
      code: 'INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR',
      message: isDevelopment 
        ? err.message 
        : 'An unexpected error occurred',
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
      requestId
    }
  });
};

// Usage in service layer
class AppointmentService {
  async scheduleAppointment(appointmentData) {
    // Validate data
    const validationErrors = this.validateAppointmentData(appointmentData);
    if (validationErrors.length > 0) {
      throw new ValidationError('Request validation failed', validationErrors);
    }

    // Check for conflicts
    const hasConflict = await this.checkSchedulingConflict(appointmentData);
    if (hasConflict) {
      const availableSlots = await this.getAvailableSlots(
        appointmentData.doctorId,
        appointmentData.dateTime
      );
      
      throw new SchedulingConflictError(
        'Doctor is not available at the requested time',
        {
          doctorId: appointmentData.doctorId,
          requestedTime: appointmentData.dateTime,
          availableSlots
        }
      );
    }

    // Create appointment
    return await this.appointmentRepository.create(appointmentData);
  }
}

Error Handling Best Practices:

Always validate input at the controller level
Use custom error classes for different error types
Include request IDs for tracing
Implement retry logic for transient failures
Log errors for monitoring and debugging
Don’t expose sensitive information in error messages

Debugging Errors

Using Request IDs

Every error response includes a unique requestId. Use this when:

Reporting issues to support
Searching logs
Tracking user-reported errors

# Search logs by request ID
grep "req_abc123" /var/log/saludya/api.log

Common Troubleshooting Steps

Check authentication: Verify API key or token is valid and not expired
Validate request data: Ensure all required fields are present and correctly formatted
Check permissions: Verify user role has access to the endpoint
Review error details: Look at error.details for specific field errors or suggestions
Check rate limits: Review rate limit headers to ensure you’re not exceeding limits
Verify resource existence: Confirm IDs reference existing resources
Check API status: Visit https://status.saludya.com for service status

For persistent issues, contact support at api-support@saludya.com with the request ID.

Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

Error Handling

Error Handling

Error Response Format

Error Response Fields

HTTP Status Codes

2xx Success

4xx Client Errors

5xx Server Errors

Error Code Reference

Authentication Errors (401)

Authorization Errors (403)

Validation Errors (400, 422)

Business Logic Errors (409, 422)

Resource Errors (404)

Rate Limiting Errors (429)

Error Handling Flow

Best Practices for Error Handling

Client-Side Error Handling

Retry Logic with Exponential Backoff

Server-Side Error Handling

Debugging Errors

Using Request IDs

Common Troubleshooting Steps

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

Documentation Index

​Error Handling

​Error Response Format

​Error Response Fields

​HTTP Status Codes

​2xx Success

​4xx Client Errors

​5xx Server Errors

​Error Code Reference

​Authentication Errors (401)

​Authorization Errors (403)

​Validation Errors (400, 422)

​Business Logic Errors (409, 422)

​Resource Errors (404)

​Rate Limiting Errors (429)

​Error Handling Flow

​Best Practices for Error Handling

​Client-Side Error Handling

​Retry Logic with Exponential Backoff

​Server-Side Error Handling

​Debugging Errors

​Using Request IDs

​Common Troubleshooting Steps

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Error Handling

Error Response Format

Error Response Fields

HTTP Status Codes

2xx Success

4xx Client Errors

5xx Server Errors

Error Code Reference

Authentication Errors (401)

Authorization Errors (403)

Validation Errors (400, 422)

Business Logic Errors (409, 422)

Resource Errors (404)

Rate Limiting Errors (429)

Error Handling Flow

Best Practices for Error Handling

Client-Side Error Handling

Retry Logic with Exponential Backoff

Server-Side Error Handling

Debugging Errors

Using Request IDs

Common Troubleshooting Steps