Errors
When something goes wrong with an API request, our server generates an error. The error message contains an appropriate HTTP status code in the header and a JSON response in the body.
Errors share the same common attributes as other API resources. They have a sys property, where sys.type is always "Error" and a sys.id that identifies the exact error code (see table below) that occurred. They always have a message property which will be a short description of what went wrong.
Errors resulting from bad input (such as ValidationFailed errors) contain a details property. This property is structured data that indicates more precisely what was wrong with the input.
Error types
| HTTP status code | Error code | Description |
|---|---|---|
400 Bad Request |
BadRequest |
The request was malformed or missing a required parameter. |
400 Bad Request |
InvalidQuery |
The request contained invalid or unknown query parameters. |
401 Unauthorized |
AccessTokenInvalid |
The authorization token was invalid. |
403 Forbidden |
AccessDenied |
The user tried to access a resource they do not have access to. This could include a missing role. |
404 Not Found |
NotFound |
The requested resource or endpoint could not be found. |
409 Conflict |
VersionMismatch |
This error occurs when you're trying to update an existing asset, entry or content type, and you didn't specify the current version of the object or specified an outdated version. |
422 Unprocessable Entity |
ValidationFailed |
The request payload was valid JSON, but something was wrong with the data. The error details should provide more specific information about the error. |
422 Unprocessable Entity |
UnknownField |
The triggered query references an unknown field. |
422 Unprocessable Entity |
InvalidEntry |
The entered value is invalid. |
429 Too Many Requests |
RateLimitExceeded |
The user sent too many requests in a given timeframe. See API Rate limits for details. |
500 Internal Server Error |
ServerError |
Something went wrong on the Contentful servers. |
502 Bad Gateway |
Hibernated |
The space has not been accessed for a long time and has been "hibernated" in a saved state. This error should resolve on its own in a few moments, once the space has been successfully awakened. |
Next steps
Not what you’re looking for? Try our FAQ.