Error Handling

This page contain common status codes, their meanings, and resolutions

This page provides a comprehensive guide to the most common status codes, their meanings, and how to resolve them.

Common status code

Error code	Error name	Descriptions
200	OK	The request was successful, and the server returned the requested data.
400	Bad Request	The request was invalid or malformed. This could be due to missing or incorrect parameters.
401	Unauthorized	he request lacks valid authentication credentials. This usually occurs when your_bearer_token is missing, invalid, or expired.
403	Forbidden	The server understood the request but refuses to authorize it. This could be due to insufficient permissions or rate limits being exceeded.
404	Not Found	The requested resource (e.g., movie, TV show, or account) could not be found.
429	Too Many Requests	You’ve exceeded the API rate limits. TMDb imposes limits on the number of requests you can make within a specific time frame.
500	Internal Server Error	The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.

How to Handle Errors in Your Application

• Check the Status Code: Always inspect the HTTP status code returned by the API to determine the type of error.

• Read the Error Message: The API response usually includes a status_message field with details about the error. Use this information to debug the issue.

• If you see errors like 429, 500, or 503, try the request again after waiting a bit, and wait longer if it fails again.”

• Validate Inputs: Ensure all request parameters are valid and meet the API’s requirements before making a request.

• Monitor Rate Limits: Keep track of your API usage to avoid exceeding rate limits.

Rate Limit

As of December 16, 2019, we have disabled the original API rate limiting (40 requests every 10 seconds.) If you have any questions about this, please head over to API support forum.

While our legacy rate limits have been disabled for some time, we do still have some upper limits to help mitigate needlessly high bulk scraping. They sit somewhere in the 50 requests per second range. This limit could change at any time so be respectful of the service we have built and respect the 429 if you receive one.