REST API Error Response Example

Dimas Maulana Development

22-02-2022

Contents

REST APIs should provide clear and structured error responses to help clients understand and resolve issues effectively. Below are examples of different types of error responses that an API might return.

Single Error Responses

Incorrect Username or Password

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{
    "type": "/errors/incorrect-user-pass",
    "title": "Incorrect username or password.",
    "status": 401,
    "detail": "Authentication failed due to incorrect username or password.",
    "instance": "/login/log/abc123"
}

Validation Errors

Title Must Be Defined

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{
    "data": null,
    "error": {
        "status": 400,
        "name": "ValidationError",
        "message": "title must be defined.",
        "details": {
            "errors": [
                {
                    "path": ["title"],
                    "message": "title must be defined.",
                    "name": "ValidationError"
                }
            ]
        }
    }
}

Name Must Be At Most 50 Characters

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{
    "data": null,
    "error": {
        "status": 400,
        "name": "ValidationError",
        "message": "name must be at most 50 characters",
        "details": {
            "errors": [
                {
                    "path": ["name"],
                    "message": "name must be at most 50 characters",
                    "name": "ValidationError"
                }
            ]
        }
    }
}

This Attribute Must Be Unique

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{
    "data": null,
    "error": {
        "status": 400,
        "name": "ValidationError",
        "message": "This attribute must be unique",
        "details": {
            "errors": [
                {
                    "path": ["name"],
                    "message": "This attribute must be unique",
                    "name": "ValidationError"
                }
            ]
        }
    }
}

Authentication Errors

No Authorization Provided

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{
    "data": null,
    "error": {
        "status": 403,
        "name": "ForbiddenError",
        "message": "Forbidden",
        "details": {}
    }
}

Invalid Authentication

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{
    "data": null,
    "error": {
        "status": 401,
        "name": "UnauthorizedError",
        "message": "Missing or invalid credentials",
        "details": {}
    }
}

Multiple Errors

Name and Title Must Be Defined

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{
    "data": null,
    "error": {
        "status": 400,
        "name": "ValidationError",
        "message": "2 errors occurred",
        "details": {
            "errors": [
                {
                    "path": ["name"],
                    "message": "name must be defined.",
                    "name": "ValidationError"
                },
                {
                    "path": ["title"],
                    "message": "title must be defined.",
                    "name": "ValidationError"
                }
            ]
        }
    }
}

Field-Specific Validation Errors

Field Too Short

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{
  "placement": "field",
  "title": "value too short",
  "detail": "field username must be at least 4 symbols",
  "location": "username",
  "field": "username",
  "code": "validation.min",
  "expression": "min",
  "argument": "4",
  "traceid": "74681b27-b1ea-454d-9847-d27059e19119",
  "stacktraces": [
 {
   "file": "model/response.go",
   "function": "model.(*ErrorMessage).LogStacktraceWithErr",
   "linenumber": 22,
   "realerror": null
 },
 {
   "file": "helpers/validator.go",
   "function": "helpers.Validator",
   "linenumber": 58,
   "realerror": null
 },
 {
   "file": "handlers/registration.go",
   "function": "handlers.RegistrationHandler",
   "linenumber": 61,
   "realerror": null
 }
  ]
}

Password and Confirm Password Must Match

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{
  "placement": "field",
  "title": "must be equal",
  "detail": "field password is not equal to field confirmpassword",
  "location": "password",
  "field": "password",
  "code": "validation.equal",
  "expression": "equal",
  "argument": "confirmpassword",
  "traceid": "e017ecb2-d72f-4f79-889f-6c42126970a8",
  "stacktraces": [
 {
   "file": "model/response.go",
   "function": "model.(*ErrorMessage).LogStacktraceWithErr",
   "linenumber": 22,
   "realerror": null
 },
 {
   "file": "helpers/validator.go",
   "function": "helpers.Validator",
   "linenumber": 58,
   "realerror": null
 },
 {
   "file": "handlers/registration.go",
   "function": "handlers.RegistrationHandler",
   "linenumber": 61,
   "realerror": null
 }
  ]
}

Incorrect Email Format

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{
  "placement": "field",
  "title": "incorrect email format",
  "detail": "field email has incorrect value",
  "location": "email",
  "field": "email",
  "code": "validation.email",
  "expression": null,
  "argument": null,
  "traceid": "cecda6b8-7ce8-4054-8c06-9382320afd78",
  "stacktraces": [
 {
   "file": "model/response.go",
   "function": "model.(*ErrorMessage).LogStacktraceWithErr",
   "linenumber": 22,
   "realerror": null
 },
 {
   "file": "helpers/validator.go",
   "function": "helpers.Validator",
   "linenumber": 58,
   "realerror": null
 },
 {
   "file": "handlers/registration.go",
   "function": "handlers.RegistrationHandler",
   "linenumber": 61,
   "realerror": null
 }
  ]
}

These error responses provide a consistent structure, making it easier for clients to handle errors programmatically and display meaningful messages to users.