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Error Handling

The SelamAPI uses conventional HTTP response codes to indicate the success or failure of an API request.

HTTP Status Codes

200OK - Everything worked as expected

400Bad Request - The request was unacceptable

401Unauthorized - No valid API key provided

403Forbidden - Insufficient permissions or access denied

413Payload Too Large - Request body exceeds size limits

429Too Many Requests - Rate limit exceeded

500Server Error - Something went wrong on our end

503Service Unavailable - Temporary service disruption

Error Response Format

All errors return a JSON object with the following structure:

Error Response Structure

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "Invalid API key provided.",
4    "type": "invalid_request_error",
5    "code": "invalid_api_key"
6  }
7}

Common Error Types

invalid_request_error

Your request was malformed or missing required parameters.

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "Missing required parameter: 'model'",
4    "type": "invalid_request_error",
5    "code": "missing_parameter"
6  }
7}

authentication_error

Your API key is invalid, missing, or has insufficient permissions.

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "Invalid API key provided.",
4    "type": "authentication_error",
5    "code": "invalid_api_key"
6  }
7}

rate_limit_error

You have exceeded your rate limit. Check the response headers for retry information.

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "Rate limit exceeded. Try again in 60 seconds.",
4    "type": "rate_limit_error",
5    "code": "rate_limit_exceeded"
6  }
7}

Feature-Specific Errors

Text-to-Speech Errors

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "Input text exceeds maximum character limit for your account level.",
4    "type": "invalid_request_error",
5    "code": "character_limit_exceeded",
6    "details": {
7      "max_characters": 1500,
8      "provided_characters": 2000
9    }
10  }
11}

Solution: Reduce text length or upgrade your account for higher limits.

Image Generation Errors

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "Invalid image size specified.",
4    "type": "invalid_request_error",
5    "code": "invalid_size",
6    "details": {
7      "supported_sizes": ["256x256", "512x512", "1024x1024", "1792x1024", "1024x1792"]
8    }
9  }
10}

Solution: Use one of the supported image sizes.

OCR/File Upload Errors

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "File size exceeds maximum limit.",
4    "type": "invalid_request_error",
5    "code": "file_too_large",
6    "details": {
7      "max_size_mb": 5,
8      "provided_size_mb": 8
9    }
10  }
11}

Solution: Reduce file size to under 5MB or split into multiple files.

Web Search Errors

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "Web search temporarily unavailable.",
4    "type": "service_error",
5    "code": "search_unavailable"
6  }
7}

Solution: Request continues without search results. Retry later for search functionality.

Multilingual Mode Errors

1{
2  "error": {
3    "message": "Specified target language is not supported.",
4    "type": "invalid_request_error",
5    "code": "unsupported_language",
6    "details": {
7      "supported_languages": ["en", "am", "ti", "om", "aa", "so"]
8    }
9  }
10}

Solution: Use one of the supported language codes.

Best Practices

Always check the HTTP status code before processing the response
Implement exponential backoff for rate limit errors
Log error messages for debugging purposes
Handle network timeouts gracefully
Validate your request parameters before sending

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