Error Codes

When an API request fails, the Showpad API returns an error response with details to help you diagnose and resolve the issue.

What you'll learn:

• Interpret HTTP status codes and Showpad error codes
• Understand error categories (parameter, persistence, validation, body)
• Troubleshoot common API errors

TL;DR

• HTTP status codes? 4xx = client error, 5xx = server error. Check the general category first.
• Showpad error codes? 2xxx = parameter, 3xxx = persistence, 4xxx = validation, 5xxx = body. Decode the specific issue.
• Quick fix? Check the code and name in the response to identify the exact issue

caution

The contents of this page are not applicable for Content Reporting.

Example Error Response

When an error occurs, the API returns a JSON response with error details:

{
  "response": {
    "code": 3004,
    "name": "ResourceNotFoundError",
    "message": "The requested resource could not be found"
  }
}

HTTP Status Codes

The Showpad API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate the success or failure of a request.

Code	Status	Description
200	OK	Request succeeded
201	Created	Resource created successfully
204	No Content	Request succeeded with no response body
400	Bad Request	Invalid request syntax or parameters
401	Unauthorized	Missing or invalid authentication token
403	Forbidden	Valid token but insufficient permissions
404	Not Found	Resource doesn't exist
429	Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded
500	Internal Server Error	Server-side error

How to Read Showpad Error Codes

Showpad uses a numbering scheme to categorize errors:

Code Range	Category	Description
2xxx	Parameter Errors	Invalid query parameters
3xxx	Persistence Errors	Database or resource issues
4xxx	Validation Errors	Data doesn't meet requirements
5xxx	Body Errors	Invalid request body format

Parameter Errors

Parameter errors occur when an incorrect query parameter has been entered.

Code	Name	Description
2001	InvalidParameterError	Parameter value is invalid
2002	NegativeParameterError	Parameter cannot be negative
2003	NotNumericParameterError	Parameter must be a number
2004	NotIntegerParameterError	Parameter must be an integer

Persistence Errors

Persistence errors occur when an operation cannot be completed because it is not possible on a data level. For example, if an unknown ID is submitted, a ResourceNotFoundError will be returned.

Code	Name	Description
3000	PersistenceError	General persistence error
3001	RelationshipDoesNotExistError	Referenced relationship doesn't exist
3002	RelationshipExistsError	Relationship already exists
3003	RelationshipNotFound	Relationship not found
3004	ResourceNotFoundError	Resource with given ID doesn't exist
3005	SubcollectionNotFoundError	Subcollection not found
3006	UnableToDeleteError	Resource cannot be deleted
3007	RelationshipUnsupportedError	Relationship type not supported
3008	ResourceNotModifiableError	Resource cannot be modified

Validation Errors

Validation errors occur when an operation cannot be completed because the entity or entities being submitted do not conform to Showpad requirements. For example, if a username is already registered, a NotUniqueValidationError will be returned.

View all 30 validation error codes

Code	Name	Description
4000	ValidationError	General validation error
4001	ChoiceValidationError	Value not in allowed choices
4002	DateTooEarlyValidationError	Date is before minimum allowed
4003	DateTooLateValidationError	Date is after maximum allowed
4004	FileTooBigValidationError	File exceeds size limit
4005	FileValidationError	File validation failed
4006	FormatValidationError	Value format is invalid
4007	I18nValidationError	Internationalization error
4008	IsRequiredValidationError	Required field is missing
4009	NotUniqueValidationError	Value must be unique
4010	TooFewCharsValidationError	Value is too short
4011	TooManyCharsValidationError	Value is too long
4012	UnavailableValidationError	Resource is unavailable
4013	WrongFileTypeValidationError	File type not allowed
4014	NoLicensesLeftValidationError	No licenses available
4015	OwnerAlreadyExistsValidationError	Owner already exists
4016	UrlUnavailableValidationError	URL is unavailable
4017	BelowMinimumValidationError	Value is below minimum
4018	AboveMaximumValidationError	Value is above maximum
4019	OwnerDoesNotExistValidationError	Owner doesn't exist
4020	OwnerLockoutValidationError	Owner is locked out
4021	ProfileLimitReachedValidationError	Profile limit reached
4022	NoLowerCaseCharacterValidationError	Missing lowercase character
4023	NoUpperCaseCharacterValidationError	Missing uppercase character
4024	NoNumericCharacterValidationError	Missing numeric character
4025	NoSymbolicCharacterValidationError	Missing symbol character
4026	NotUniqueOverLatestChangesValidationError	Not unique in recent changes
4027	NotUniqueOverTimeValidationError	Not unique over time period
4028	FileTooSmallValidationError	File is below minimum size
4029	RevokedCatalogValidationError	Catalog has been revoked

Body Errors

Body errors are returned when the format entered in the request's body is invalid.

Code	Name	Description
5000	InvalidBodyError	Request body is invalid
5001	InvalidJsonBodyError	JSON syntax is malformed
5002	TooManyResourcesInBodyError	Too many items in request body

Troubleshooting Common Errors

Error	Common Cause	Solution
401 Unauthorized	Expired or missing token	Generate a new API token
403 Forbidden	Insufficient scopes	Check your OAuth client's scope settings
ResourceNotFoundError	Invalid ID	Verify the resource ID exists and you have access
IsRequiredValidationError	Missing required field	Check the API reference for required parameters
InvalidJsonBodyError	Malformed JSON	Validate your JSON syntax before sending

tip

Use the Test API Requests feature to quickly debug errors with real data.

Need Help?

If you're encountering persistent errors that you can't resolve, contact Showpad Support for assistance.

Next Steps

• API Testing - Test requests directly in the documentation
• Authentication - Resolve token and permission issues
• API Reference - Full endpoint specifications and parameters