> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.peoplewisher.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Errors

> Understand Peoplewisher API error responses.

Peoplewisher uses standard HTTP status codes together with a JSON error body.

## Error format

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": false,
  "error": "validation_error",
  "message": "Please provide a valid email address."
}
```

The `error` value is a machine-readable code. The `message` explains the problem.

## Common status codes

| Status | Meaning |
| - | - |
| `400` | The request is malformed or required data is missing |
| `401` | The API key is missing or invalid |
| `403` | The account has reached a plan or permission limit |
| `404` | The requested resource does not exist in the authenticated account |
| `409` | The request conflicts with an existing record, such as a duplicate contact |
| `422` | Request validation failed |
| `429` | The API request was rate limited |
| `500` | An unexpected Peoplewisher server error |

## Retry guidance

Retry transient `429` and `5xx` responses with exponential backoff.

Do not automatically retry validation errors, authentication errors, or duplicate-record errors without changing the request.