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Error Handling Standards

[Purpose: unify how errors are classified, shaped, propagated, logged, and monitored]

Philosophy

Fail fast where possible; degrade gracefully at system boundaries
Consistent error shape across the stack (human + machine readable)
Handle known errors close to source; surface unknowns to a global handler

Classification (decide handling by source)

Client: Input/validation/user action issues → 4xx
Server: System failures/unexpected exceptions → 5xx
Business: Rule/state violations → 4xx (e.g., 409)
External: 3rd-party/network failures → map to 5xx or 4xx with context

Error Shape (single canonical format)

{
  "error": {
    "code": "ERROR_CODE",
    "message": "Human-readable message",
    "requestId": "trace-id",
    "timestamp": "ISO-8601"
  }
}

Principles: stable code enums, no secrets, include trace info.

Propagation (where to convert)

API layer: Convert domain errors → HTTP status + canonical body
Service layer: Throw typed business errors, avoid stringly-typed errors
Data/external layer: Wrap provider errors with safe, actionable codes
Unknown errors: Bubble to global handler → 500 + generic message

Example pattern:

try { return await useCase(); }
catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof BusinessError) return respondMapped(e);
  logError(e); return respondInternal();
}

Logging (context over noise)

Log: operation, userId (if available), code, message, stack, requestId, minimal context. Do not log: passwords, tokens, secrets, full PII, full bodies with sensitive data. Levels: ERROR (failures), WARN (recoverable/edge), INFO (key events), DEBUG (diagnostics).

Retry (only when safe)

Retry when: network/timeouts/transient 5xx AND operation is idempotent. Do not retry: 4xx, business errors, non-idempotent flows. Strategy: exponential backoff + jitter, capped attempts; require idempotency keys.

Monitoring & Health

Track: error rates by code/category, latency, saturation; alert on spikes/SLI breaches. Expose health: /health (live), /health/ready (ready). Link errors to traces.

Focus on patterns and decisions. No implementation details or exhaustive lists.

2.2 KiB Raw Blame History