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Response, Status, and Error Codes

Each call to the API will return a number of informational headers. These headers will include information on the result of the request, errors, and rate limits.

Example Response Headers (for an Error):​

Status: 400 Bad Request
X-Error: Missing API Key
X-Error-Code: 132
X-Limit-User-Limit: 100
X-Limit-User-Remaining: 43
X-Limit-User-Reset: 25
X-Limit-Key-Limit: 5000
X-Limit-Key-Remaining: 3520
X-Limit-Key-Reset: 25

Error Messages​

If there was an error, the X-Error header in the HTTP response will include a description of the problem. In most cases, it is a best practice to display this message to the user.

We also include an X-Error-Code — this numeric code can be helpful when communicating with Pocket support about an error condition.

Status Codes​

As described above, the X-Error message will describe exactly what went wrong. However, the HTTP status code will provide a basic idea of what the problem was:

  • 200 – Request was successful
  • 400 – Invalid request, please make sure you follow the documentation for proper syntax
  • 401 – Problem authenticating the user
  • 403 – User was authenticated, but access denied due to lack of permission or rate limiting
  • 503 – Pocket's sync server is down for scheduled maintenance

Rate Limits​

Please view the Rate Limit Documentation for a detailed look at rate limits and rate limit error responses.