> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.carbon.inc/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.carbon.inc/developers/http-api/errors.md).

# Errors

Every failed request returns the same envelope. Handle errors by branching on `success` and the HTTP status — not by string-matching messages.

```jsonc
{
  "success": false,
  "statusMessage": "Insufficient free balance for this order",
  "error": { "code": "400", "message": "Insufficient free balance for this order" },
  "httpStatusCode": 400
}
```

| Field                             | Meaning                                              |
| --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| `success`                         | Always `false` on error — branch on this first.      |
| `error.code`                      | String status code, mirrors the HTTP status.         |
| `error.message` / `statusMessage` | Human-readable — for logs, **not** for control flow. |
| `httpStatusCode`                  | Numeric HTTP status, echoed in the body.             |

Validation errors are `400`, often with several issues joined into one message.

### Status codes

| Status        | Meaning                                                 | What to do                              |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `200`         | Success (read/action)                                   | Read `data`.                            |
| `201`         | Write accepted                                          | Read `data.tempId`, then **poll**.      |
| `400`         | Invalid input / failed rule (e.g. insufficient balance) | Fix the request; don't retry unchanged. |
| `401`         | Not authenticated                                       | Refresh credentials.                    |
| `403`         | Not permitted (missing delegated permission)            | Delegate the permission.                |
| `404`         | Resource not found                                      | Check the id / path.                    |
| `429`         | Throttled                                               | Back off and retry.                     |
| `500` / `503` | Server / dependency error                               | Retry with backoff.                     |

### Two kinds of failure

Because trades are asynchronous, a trade can fail at two moments:

1. **Request-time (synchronous)** — auth, validation, and permission errors come back immediately as a `4xx`. The trade never started.
2. **Execution-time (asynchronous)** — a trade that was accepted (`201` + `tempId`) can still fail later (solver rejects, order expires, on-chain revert). This surfaces in the **status endpoint** as a `FAILED` status, *not* as an HTTP error on the original call.

> A `201` means "accepted for processing," not "filled." Always confirm the terminal state via the matching `.../status` endpoint. See [How trading works](/developers/architecture/how-trading-works.md).

### Retries & rate limits

Specific rate limits aren't published — build as if limits exist and may change.

* **`4xx` (except `429`)** are your bug — fix before retrying; don't hammer them.
* **`429` and `5xx`** are transient — retry with **exponential backoff + jitter**.
* **Cap concurrency** per key; poll status \~1s apart and stop on a terminal state.
* For accepted trades that then fail, **reconcile** with `GET /v1/positions/all` before resubmitting, so you don't double-open a position that actually filled.

```ts
async function call(path, init) {
  const res  = await fetch(base + path, init);
  const body = await res.json();
  if (!body.success) {
    if (res.status === 429 || res.status >= 500) throw new RetryableError(body.error?.message, res.status);
    throw new ApiError(body.error?.message, res.status);
  }
  return body.data;   // unwrap the envelope
}
```


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