> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.flowretail.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.flowretail.com/docs/developers/errors-and-troubleshooting.md). # Errors & troubleshooting The error envelope, what each status code means, and the codes you will hit most. Every error from the Flow Retail API comes back as the same three-field object, whatever the status code: ```json { "code": "ErrPermissionDenied", "message": "User does not have permission to access this store", "logId": "9f1c2e70-4b8a-4d3e-9a17-2c5b1d0e8f44" } ``` | Field | Use it for | | --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `code` | Branching in your code. Stable and machine-readable. | | `message` | Showing a human what went wrong. May be translated — never match on it. | | `logId` | Correlating with our logs. Quote it when you contact support. | **Branch on `code`, never on `message`.** Messages are localised and rewritten; codes are not. ## Status codes | Status | Meaning | What to do | | ------ | -------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | `400` | Malformed request or failed validation | Fix the request. Retrying will not help. | | `401` | Missing, invalid or expired token | Re-authenticate. | | `403` | Valid token, insufficient permission | Grant the permission in Flow Retail Admin. | | `404` | Resource does not exist, or is outside your tenant | Check the `Uid` and the tenant in the path. | | `406` | Unacceptable content type | Send and accept `application/json`. | | `409` | Conflict with current state | Re-read the resource and retry. | | `429` | Too many requests | Back off and retry. | | `500` | Unexpected server error | Retry with backoff. Report it with the `logId` if it persists. | | `503` | Temporarily unavailable | Retry with backoff. | ## Common error codes | Code | Usually means | | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | `ErrBadRequest` | The request body or parameters failed validation | | `ErrNotFound` | No such resource, or it belongs to another tenant | | `ErrInvalidToken` | The bearer token is malformed, expired or revoked | | `ErrAccessDenied` | The token is valid but not allowed here | | `ErrPermissionDenied` | The user lacks the permission the endpoint requires | | `ErrStoreAccessDenied` | The user has no access to the store in the path | | `ErrUserIsNotAdmin` | The endpoint requires an admin user | | `ErrUserIsNotSuperAdmin` | The endpoint requires a super admin | | `ErrInvalidPrimaryKey` | A `Uid` in the path or body is not a valid identifier | | `ErrDuplicatePrimaryKey` | Something with that identifier already exists | | `ErrInvalidSortBy` | The `sortBy` field is not sortable on this endpoint | | `ErrInvalidSortDirection` | `sortDirection` was not `ASC` or `DESC` | | `ErrGeneric` | An error with no more specific code | | `ErrInternalServerError` | An unhandled failure on our side | A `404` on an endpoint you expect to work is most often a tenant mismatch rather than a missing record — the token and the `{tenantUid}` in the path have to agree. ## A note on the specification Most operations in the OpenAPI specification document only their success response. That does not mean errors are not returned — the envelope above applies to every endpoint regardless of what the specification lists. Handle the three-field shape for any non-`2xx` status, rather than trusting the declared response list to be complete. We are filling these in over time. ## Retries and backoff The API does not publish rate limits. Write your client so that it copes anyway: * **Treat any `429` as a signal to back off** and retry after a delay, whether or not you have seen one before. * **Back off on `5xx` and `503`** with exponential delay and jitter. * **Do not retry `4xx` other than `429`** — the request will fail the same way every time until you change it. Keep concurrency modest on bulk work and prefer the batch endpoints where they exist. Large `pageSize` values on wide collections are the usual cause of timeouts. ## Getting help When something is wrong and the error does not explain it, send us the `logId`. It lets us find the exact request in our logs, with its root cause, in seconds — far faster than a description of what you were doing. Email . Every integration partner gets direct access to the developers who build this API. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. 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