Error responses maintain the same top-level structure as successful responses, but with an error object instead of data: 
{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_abc123xyz789"
  },
  "error": {
    "title": "Validation Error",
    "detail": "You must provide a valid API ID.",
    "status": 400,
    "type": "https://unkey.com/docs/errors/validation-error",
    "errors": [
      {
        "location": "body.apiId",
        "message": "API not found",
        "fix": "Provide a valid API ID or create a new API"
      }
    ]
  }
}

​
Error Format

Our error format follows RFC7807 Problem Details standard within our consistent envelope structure, providing:
  • title: A short, human-readable summary of the problem
  • detail: A human-readable explanation specific to this occurrence
  • status: The HTTP status code (also returned in the HTTP response)
  • type: A URI reference that identifies the problem type and points to documentation
  • errors: (Optional) An array of specific validation errors when multiple issues occur

​
Common Error Types

StatusError TypeDescription
400validation-errorThe request body failed validation
401unauthorizedMissing or invalid authorization
403forbiddenValid authorization but insufficient permissions
404not-foundThe requested resource was not found
409conflictThe request conflicts with the current state
429rate-limitedYou’ve exceeded your rate limit
500internal-server-errorAn unexpected error occurred on our servers

​
Validation Errors

For validation errors, we provide detailed information about each failed validation:
  • location: Where in the request the error occurred (e.g., body.name, query.limit)
  • message: What went wrong with the specific field
  • fix: (When possible) A suggestion for how to fix the issue

​
Error Recovery

Our error messages are designed to be actionable. Each error includes:
  1. A clear explanation of what went wrong
  2. Often, a suggestion for how to fix the issue
  3. For validation errors, the specific fields that failed validation

​
Using the Request ID for Support

When reporting issues to our support team, always include the requestId from the error response. This unique identifier allows us to quickly locate the specific request in our logs and provide faster, more accurate assistance.

​
Error Handling Best Practices

  1. Check for Status Codes: Always check HTTP status codes first to determine broad error categories
  2. Extract Error Details: Parse the error object for detailed information
  3. Implement Retries Carefully: Only retry on 5xx errors or when explicitly advised
  4. Log Complete Errors: Log the full error response for debugging purposes
Example error handling in JavaScript: 
try {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.unkey.com/v2/keys.create', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${rootKey}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(keyData)
  });

  const data = await response.json();

  if (!response.ok) {
    // Extract and handle the error
    const { meta, error } = data;
    console.error(`Error ${error.status}: ${error.title}`, {
      requestId: meta.requestId,
      detail: error.detail,
      docs: error.type
    });

    // Handle validation errors specifically
    if (error.errors) {
      error.errors.forEach(err => {
        console.error(`- ${err.location}: ${err.message}`);
      });
    }

    throw new Error(`API Error: ${error.detail}`);
  }

  return data.data; // Return just the data portion on success
} catch (err) {
  // Handle network errors or other exceptions
  console.error('Request failed:', err);
  throw err;
}