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Error handling & rate limits

DigiCert® ONE APIs return JSON errors and enforces per-API key rate limits. Understanding returned errors and rate limits helps you:

  • Parse error payloads and map them to actionable logic.

  • Respect rate limits to avoid throttling.

  • Implement production-grade retry and logging strategies.

Error response structure and example

Error response structure

{
  "error": {
    "code": "<error_code>",
    "message": "<error_message>"
  }
}
  • code: Returned error code.

  • message: Description of the error that occurred and potential solutions.

Error response example

{
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "duplicate_error",
      "message": "Nickname api_service_user_3 already exists. Enter a different nickname."
    }
  ]
}

API troubleshooting basics

HTTP status and machine codes

Tip

Always check for the Retry-After header on 429 and 503 responses. The value is either seconds or an HTTP date.

Sample retry logic