Error Handling

Complete guide to understanding and handling YeboLink API errors effectively.

Error Response Format

All error responses follow this consistent structure:

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Human-readable error message"
}

HTTP Status Codes

400 Bad Request

Invalid request parameters or validation errors.

Common Causes:

Missing required fields
Invalid phone number format
Invalid email format
Invalid date format
Invalid enum values

Example:

ResponsecURL

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Phone number must be in E.164 format (e.g., +26878422613)"
}

bash

curl -X POST https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send \
  -H "X-API-Key: ybk_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "invalid_phone",
    "channel": "sms",
    "content": { "text": "Hello" }
  }'

How to Fix:

Validate phone numbers using E.164 format: +[country_code][number]
Check required fields in request body
Ensure enum values match accepted values
Use proper date formats (ISO 8601)

401 Unauthorized

Authentication failed or missing credentials.

Common Causes:

Missing API key or JWT token
Invalid API key
Expired JWT token
Deactivated API key

Example:

ResponsecURL

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Invalid API key"
}

bash

curl -X POST https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send \
  -H "X-API-Key: ybk_invalid_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+26878422613",
    "channel": "sms",
    "content": { "text": "Hello" }
  }'

How to Fix:

Verify your API key is correct
Check that the API key hasn't been deactivated
For JWT: Login again to get a fresh token
Ensure you're using the correct authentication method for the endpoint

402 Payment Required

Insufficient credits to complete the operation.

Common Causes:

Credit balance is zero or too low
Attempted bulk send without enough credits

Example:

ResponseNode.js

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Insufficient credits. You need 100 credits but have 50."
}

javascript

try {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/bulk', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'X-API-Key': 'ybk_your_key',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      channel: 'sms',
      content: { text: 'Hello {{name}}' },
      recipients: [...100_recipients]
    })
  });

  if (response.status === 402) {
    // Redirect user to purchase credits
    window.location.href = '/billing';
  }
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}

How to Fix:

Purchase more credits via the dashboard
Check your credit balance before sending
Implement credit balance checks in your application

403 Forbidden

Valid authentication but insufficient permissions.

Common Causes:

API key doesn't have required scopes
Trying to access another workspace's resources

Example:

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "API key does not have required scope: manage_webhooks"
}

How to Fix:

Create a new API key with correct scopes
Verify you're accessing resources from your own workspace

404 Not Found

The requested resource doesn't exist.

Common Causes:

Invalid message ID
Message doesn't belong to your workspace
Webhook, contact, or API key not found

Example:

ResponsePython

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Message not found"
}

python

import requests

response = requests.get(
    'https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/invalid-uuid',
    headers={'X-API-Key': 'ybk_your_key'}
)

if response.status_code == 404:
    print("Message not found")
elif response.ok:
    data = response.json()
    print(data)

How to Fix:

Verify the resource ID is correct
Ensure the resource belongs to your workspace
Check that the resource hasn't been deleted

429 Too Many Requests

Rate limit exceeded.

Common Causes:

Sending too many requests too quickly
Exceeding bulk send rate limits
Too many failed authentication attempts

Example:

ResponseNode.js with Retry

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Rate limit exceeded. Try again in 30 seconds."
}

javascript

async function sendWithRetry(messageData, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      const response = await fetch('https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send', {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: {
          'X-API-Key': process.env.YEBOLINK_API_KEY,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        },
        body: JSON.stringify(messageData)
      });

      if (response.status === 429) {
        const retryAfter = response.headers.get('Retry-After') || '30';
        const delay = parseInt(retryAfter) * 1000;
        console.log(`Rate limited. Retrying in ${retryAfter} seconds...`);
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
        continue;
      }

      return await response.json();
    } catch (error) {
      if (i === maxRetries - 1) throw error;
    }
  }
}

Rate Limits:

Endpoint Type	Limit
API Key endpoints	100 requests/minute
Bulk messaging	10 requests/minute
Auth endpoints	5 attempts/15 minutes

How to Fix:

Implement exponential backoff
Use the Retry-After header value
Batch requests where possible
Use bulk endpoints instead of multiple single requests

500 Internal Server Error

Server-side error occurred.

Common Causes:

Temporary service disruption
Database connection issues
Third-party provider errors (Twilio, Stripe, etc.)

Example:

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Internal server error. Please try again later."
}

How to Fix:

Retry the request after a short delay
If the error persists, contact support
Check the status page for known issues

Error Codes Reference

Validation Errors (400)

Error Message	Cause	Solution
`Phone number must be in E.164 format`	Invalid phone format	Use format: `+26878422613`
`Invalid channel. Must be one of: sms, whatsapp, email`	Invalid channel value	Use valid channel names
`Missing required field: content.text`	Missing message content	Include message text
`Email already exists`	Duplicate email on signup	Use different email or login
`Password must be at least 8 characters`	Weak password	Use stronger password
`Invalid date format`	Date not in ISO 8601	Use: `2025-11-02T12:00:00Z`
`Limit must be between 1 and 100`	Invalid pagination limit	Use value 1-100

Authentication Errors (401)

Error Message	Cause	Solution
`Invalid API key`	Wrong or malformed key	Check API key value
`API key has been deactivated`	Deactivated key	Create new API key
`Invalid or expired token`	Expired JWT	Login again
`Missing X-API-Key header`	No auth header	Add authentication header

Payment Errors (402)

Error Message	Cause	Solution
`Insufficient credits. You need X but have Y`	Low credit balance	Purchase credits
`Credit purchase failed`	Payment issue	Check payment method

Best Practices

1. Always Check Response Status

Node.jsPythonPHPGo

javascript

const response = await fetch('https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-API-Key': process.env.YEBOLINK_API_KEY,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify(messageData)
});

if (!response.ok) {
  const error = await response.json();
  throw new Error(`API Error (${response.status}): ${error.error}`);
}

const data = await response.json();

python

import requests

response = requests.post(
    'https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send',
    headers={'X-API-Key': os.environ['YEBOLINK_API_KEY']},
    json=message_data
)

if not response.ok:
    error_data = response.json()
    raise Exception(f"API Error ({response.status_code}): {error_data['error']}")

data = response.json()

php

<?php
$curl = curl_init();

curl_setopt_array($curl, [
    CURLOPT_URL => 'https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send',
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_POST => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
        'X-API-Key: ' . getenv('YEBOLINK_API_KEY'),
        'Content-Type: application/json'
    ],
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode($messageData)
]);

$response = curl_exec($curl);
$httpCode = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($curl);

if ($httpCode !== 200 && $httpCode !== 201) {
    $error = json_decode($response, true);
    throw new Exception("API Error ($httpCode): " . $error['error']);
}

$data = json_decode($response, true);
?>

package main

import (
    "bytes"
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "io"
    "net/http"
    "os"
)

type ErrorResponse struct {
    Success bool   `json:"success"`
    Error   string `json:"error"`
}

func sendMessage(data map[string]interface{}) error {
    jsonData, _ := json.Marshal(data)

    req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST",
        "https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send",
        bytes.NewBuffer(jsonData))

    req.Header.Set("X-API-Key", os.Getenv("YEBOLINK_API_KEY"))
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")

    client := &http.Client{}
    resp, err := client.Do(req)
    if err != nil {
        return err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    if resp.StatusCode != 200 && resp.StatusCode != 201 {
        var errResp ErrorResponse
        body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
        json.Unmarshal(body, &errResp)
        return fmt.Errorf("API Error (%d): %s", resp.StatusCode, errResp.Error)
    }

    return nil
}

2. Implement Retry Logic

javascript

async function apiCallWithRetry(url, options, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      const response = await fetch(url, options);

      // Don't retry client errors (4xx except 429)
      if (response.status >= 400 && response.status < 500 && response.status !== 429) {
        throw new Error(`Client error: ${response.status}`);
      }

      // Retry on 429 or 5xx
      if (response.status === 429 || response.status >= 500) {
        if (attempt < maxRetries - 1) {
          const delay = Math.pow(2, attempt) * 1000; // Exponential backoff
          await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
          continue;
        }
      }

      return await response.json();
    } catch (error) {
      if (attempt === maxRetries - 1) throw error;
    }
  }
}

3. Validate Data Before Sending

javascript

function validatePhoneNumber(phone) {
  // E.164 format: +[country code][number]
  const e164Regex = /^\+[1-9]\d{1,14}$/;
  return e164Regex.test(phone);
}

function validateMessageData(data) {
  if (!data.to || !validatePhoneNumber(data.to)) {
    throw new Error('Invalid phone number. Use E.164 format: +26878422613');
  }

  if (!['sms', 'whatsapp', 'email'].includes(data.channel)) {
    throw new Error('Invalid channel. Must be: sms, whatsapp, or email');
  }

  if (!data.content || !data.content.text) {
    throw new Error('Message text is required');
  }
}

4. Handle Specific Error Types

javascript

async function sendMessage(messageData) {
  try {
    const response = await fetch('https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'X-API-Key': process.env.YEBOLINK_API_KEY,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify(messageData)
    });

    const data = await response.json();

    switch (response.status) {
      case 200:
      case 201:
        return data;

      case 400:
        console.error('Validation error:', data.error);
        // Fix the data and retry
        break;

      case 401:
        console.error('Authentication failed:', data.error);
        // Refresh API key
        break;

      case 402:
        console.error('Insufficient credits:', data.error);
        // Redirect to billing
        break;

      case 429:
        console.error('Rate limited:', data.error);
        // Implement backoff and retry
        break;

      case 500:
        console.error('Server error:', data.error);
        // Retry after delay
        break;

      default:
        console.error('Unexpected error:', response.status, data.error);
    }

    throw new Error(data.error);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Request failed:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Testing Errors

You can test error handling using invalid data:

bash

# Test 400 - Invalid phone number
curl -X POST https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send \
  -H "X-API-Key: ybk_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"to": "invalid", "channel": "sms", "content": {"text": "Test"}}'

# Test 401 - Invalid API key
curl -X POST https://api.yebolink.com/api/v1/messages/send \
  -H "X-API-Key: invalid_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"to": "+26878422613", "channel": "sms", "content": {"text": "Test"}}'

Need Help?

If you encounter an error not covered here:

Check the error message carefully
Verify your request parameters
Review the API Reference
Contact support: [email protected]

Error Handling ​

Error Response Format ​

HTTP Status Codes ​

400 Bad Request ​

401 Unauthorized ​

402 Payment Required ​

403 Forbidden ​

404 Not Found ​

429 Too Many Requests ​

500 Internal Server Error ​

Error Codes Reference ​

Validation Errors (400) ​

Authentication Errors (401) ​

Payment Errors (402) ​

Best Practices ​

1. Always Check Response Status ​

2. Implement Retry Logic ​

3. Validate Data Before Sending ​

4. Handle Specific Error Types ​

Testing Errors ​

Need Help? ​

Error Handling

Error Response Format

HTTP Status Codes

400 Bad Request

401 Unauthorized

402 Payment Required

403 Forbidden

404 Not Found

429 Too Many Requests

500 Internal Server Error

Error Codes Reference

Validation Errors (400)

Authentication Errors (401)

Payment Errors (402)

Best Practices

1. Always Check Response Status

2. Implement Retry Logic

3. Validate Data Before Sending

4. Handle Specific Error Types

Testing Errors

Need Help?