# API Error Handling: Techniques and Best Practices  ## Metadata - Author: [[Rory Murphy]] - Full Title: API Error Handling: Techniques and Best Practices - Category: #articles - Summary: API error handling is essential for reliable software development, helping developers manage issues that arise when connecting to APIs. Techniques like retries, circuit breakers, and the Try-Catch pattern are important for effectively addressing errors and maintaining user experience. Best practices include logging errors, providing clear messages, and continuously monitoring for improvements. - URL: https://dev.to/apidna/api-error-handling-techniques-and-best-practices-20c5 ## Highlights - Another valuable technique is the use of circuit breakers, which act as a safety mechanism to prevent cascading failures. When a certain threshold of errors is reached, the circuit breaker trips, temporarily halting requests to the failing component. This prevents further damage to the system and allows time for recovery. A cloud-based storage service might employ circuit breakers to prevent overload during peak usage periods, safeguarding data integrity and availability. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jjwzp3wmsedbrbr6hgghs9k7)) - **Meaningful Error Messages:** Provide clear and informative error messages to users, explaining the nature of the problem and suggesting potential solutions or next steps. Clear communication fosters user trust and minimises frustration. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jjwzphcqr4vzhk8rwxnrfjr6)) - **Graceful Error Handling:** Anticipate and accommodate various error scenarios, from client-side validation errors to server-side processing failures. Design error handling logic to distinguish between different error types and respond appropriately to each scenario, ensuring smooth user experiences even in challenging situations. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jjwzpnjgy07b4t83xxz5a1mb)) - Robust error handling mechanisms are essential for ensuring the reliability and resilience of applications interacting with APIs. One such technique is implementing retries, which involves automatically reattempting failed requests after a certain period, giving the system time to recover from transient errors ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jjwz5mqz8npxazp414ajcr9w))