API Error Troubleshooting

API Error Troubleshooting

Guide users through resolving 4xx and 5xx API errors.

When to use

• When operating in the support domain.
• When resolving incidents related to api error troubleshooting.

When not to use

• If the issue requires manual human intervention.
• If the domain does not apply.

Triggers

• Pattern: api-error-troubleshooting
• Keywords: support, api

Inputs

• Context from the current user session or incident report.

Steps

1. Step 1

Ask the user for the exact endpoint, HTTP method, and payload they used.

2. Step 2

If 401/403, advise checking the Authorization header and token expiration.

3. Step 3

If 422, explain the validation error based on the response payload schema.

4. Step 4

If 500, escalate to engineering with a constructed cURL reproduction of the request.

Success signals

• The task is resolved without regressions.
• Logs confirm the procedure was successfully applied.

Failure modes

• Incorrect application of the steps leading to side effects.

Safety notes

• Always verify changes in a staging environment before applying to production.
• Do not execute destructive commands without explicit authorization.