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

# Errors & status codes

When a request fails, InsurGrid returns one consistent JSON shape, no matter which endpoint you called. Learn this envelope once and you can handle every error the same way.

## The error envelope

```json
{
  "message": "Slug is already in use for this agency.",
  "code": "form_slug_conflict",
  "request_id": "req_7a1c9e2b4f",
  "errors": [
    { "field": "slug", "message": "must be unique" }
  ]
}
```

| Field        | Type   | Meaning                                                                                                     |
| ------------ | ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `message`    | string | A human-readable description of what went wrong. Safe to log or show in an internal tool.                   |
| `code`       | string | A stable, machine-readable error code — branch on this in code, not on `message`, since wording can change. |
| `request_id` | string | A unique id for this specific request. Always log it.                                                       |
| `errors[]`   | array  | Present on validation failures (`422`). One entry per invalid field: `field` and `message`.                 |

> **New term — `request_id`:** every API call gets a unique id, returned on both success and failure. It's how InsurGrid support finds your exact request in their logs — quote it (or a webhook payload's `trace_id`) whenever you contact support.

## Status codes

| Status | Meaning                                                                                                       | What to do                                                                                    |
| ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `400`  | Malformed request — bad JSON, missing required parameter.                                                     | Fix the request shape.                                                                        |
| `401`  | Missing or invalid API token.                                                                                 | Check your `Authorization: Bearer <token>` header.                                            |
| `403`  | Authenticated, but not permitted (e.g. an ordinary agent trying to create a form).                            | Check the [ownership model](/guides/ownership.md) — the caller may need an owner/admin token. |
| `404`  | Not found, or outside your account's visibility.                                                              | Check the id, and that the resource belongs to your account.                                  |
| `409`  | Conflict — e.g. a duplicate slug, or an invalid status transition (like publishing an already-archived form). | Read `message` for specifics; don't blindly retry.                                            |
| `422`  | Validation failed.                                                                                            | Walk `errors[]` and fix each field.                                                           |
| `429`  | Rate limited.                                                                                                 | Back off using `Retry-After` — see [Rate limits](/guides/rate-limits.md).                     |

## Always log `request_id`

Log `request_id` (and `trace_id`, when the payload has one — see Webhook events & payloads) alongside every failed call. If you need to contact InsurGrid support, quoting it lets them find the exact request instead of guessing from a timestamp.

**Node:**

```js
const res = await fetch("https://api.insurgrid.com/v2/forms", {
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
});

if (!res.ok) {
  const err = await res.json();
  console.error(`InsurGrid error [${err.code}] request_id=${err.request_id}: ${err.message}`);
}
```

**Python:**

```python
resp = requests.get(
    "https://api.insurgrid.com/v2/forms",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"},
)

if not resp.ok:
    err = resp.json()
    print(f"InsurGrid error [{err['code']}] request_id={err['request_id']}: {err['message']}")
```

## Related

* [Rate limits](/guides/rate-limits.md)
* [Pagination (cursors)](/guides/pagination.md)
* [Ownership model (agency vs agent)](/guides/ownership.md)
* Troubleshooting
* Support


---

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