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Error Codes

When an API request fails, the response includes an HTTP status code and a JSON body with error details.

Error Response Format

All errors follow this structure:

{
  "error": {
    "message": "A human-readable description of the error.",
    "type": "error_type",
    "code": 401
  }
}

400 Bad Request

The request is malformed or contains invalid parameters.

Common triggers:

  • Missing required fields (model or messages)
  • Invalid model value (model does not exist)
  • messages array is empty
  • temperature outside the valid range (0-2)
  • max_tokens is negative or exceeds the model context limit
  • Malformed JSON in the request body

Example:

{
  "error": {
    "message": "Invalid value for temperature: must be between 0 and 2.",
    "type": "invalid_request_error",
    "code": 400
  }
}

How to fix:

  • Verify the request body is valid JSON
  • Check that all required fields are present
  • Ensure parameter values are within documented ranges
  • Use the Models API to confirm valid model IDs

401 Unauthorized

The API key is missing, invalid, or has been revoked.

Common triggers:

  • No Authorization header in the request
  • Incorrect header format (must be Bearer YOUR_API_KEY)
  • API key has been deleted or deactivated

Example:

{
  "error": {
    "message": "Invalid API key.",
    "type": "authentication_error",
    "code": 401
  }
}

How to fix:

  • Verify your API key starts with dos_sk_
  • Check the Authorization header format: Authorization: Bearer dos_sk_...
  • Generate a new key from the dashboard if your current key may be compromised
  • Ensure there are no trailing spaces or newlines in the key

402 Payment Required

Your account does not have sufficient credits to process the request.

Example:

{
  "error": {
    "message": "Insufficient credits. Please top up your account.",
    "type": "payment_required",
    "code": 402
  }
}

How to fix:

  • Check your current balance on the dashboard
  • Add credits to your account
  • If you believe this is an error, contact support@dos.ai

429 Too Many Requests

You have exceeded the rate limit for your account.

Example:

{
  "error": {
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded. Please wait before making another request.",
    "type": "rate_limit_error",
    "code": 429
  }
}

How to fix:

  • Implement exponential backoff (wait, then retry with increasing delays)
  • Check the Retry-After header for how long to wait
  • Reduce the frequency of your requests
  • See Rate Limits for detailed limits and best practices
  • Contact us for higher limits if your use case requires them

500 Internal Server Error

An unexpected error occurred on our servers.

Example:

{
  "error": {
    "message": "An internal error occurred. Please try again later.",
    "type": "server_error",
    "code": 500
  }
}

How to fix:

  • Retry the request after a short delay (1-5 seconds)
  • If the error persists, try a different model
  • Check status.dos.ai for any ongoing incidents
  • Contact support@dos.ai with the request details if the problem continues

503 Service Unavailable

The requested model is temporarily unavailable, typically because it is being loaded, updated, or restarted.

Example:

{
  "error": {
    "message": "Model is currently unavailable. Please try again shortly.",
    "type": "service_unavailable",
    "code": 503
  }
}

How to fix:

  • Wait 30-60 seconds and retry. Model loading typically completes within a few minutes.
  • Try a different model if you need an immediate response
  • Check status.dos.ai for maintenance announcements

Best Practices for Error Handling

Implement Retry Logic

For transient errors (429, 500, 503), implement automatic retries with exponential backoff:

import time
import requests

def call_api_with_retry(url, headers, data, max_retries=3):
    for attempt in range(max_retries):
        response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)

        if response.status_code == 200:
            return response.json()

        if response.status_code in (429, 500, 503):
            wait_time = 2 ** attempt  # 1s, 2s, 4s
            time.sleep(wait_time)
            continue

        # Non-retryable error
        response.raise_for_status()

    raise Exception("Max retries exceeded")

Log Error Details

Always log the full error response for debugging. The message field often contains specific information about what went wrong.

Validate Before Sending

Validate your request parameters client-side before making API calls to avoid unnecessary 400 errors. Check that:

  • The model ID is valid
  • Messages array is not empty
  • Numeric parameters are within range
  • JSON is well-formed