---
url: https://docs.tenderapi.eu/errors.md
description: HTTP status codes and the JSON error body returned by the TenderAPI REST API.
---

# Errors

When something goes wrong, the API responds with an HTTP error status and a small JSON body.

```json
{
  "type": "INVALID_REQUEST",
  "message": "unknown source: \"TED\""
}
```

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `type` | `string` | Machine readable error category. |
| `message` | `string` | Human readable explanation. Use it for debugging, not for matching in code. |

## Status codes

| Status | `type` | When |
|---|---|---|
| `400` | `INVALID_REQUEST` | The request is malformed or a value is not allowed. See common causes below. |
| `404` | `NOT_FOUND` | No tender or organisation with that id. Only [Get Tender](/get-tender) and [Get Organisation](/get-organisation) return this. |
| `500` | `INTERNAL_ERROR` | Something failed on our side. Retry later. The message is always `Something went wrong.` |

## Common 400 causes

| Message | Fix |
|---|---|
| `Failed parsing JSON request` | The body is not valid JSON, or a field has the wrong type. Check quotes and that lists are arrays. |
| `Failed parsing query parameters` | A query parameter has the wrong type, for example `limit=abc`. |
| `unknown source: "TED"` | Values are case sensitive. Use the exact lowercase identifiers from [Portals](/portals). |
| `unknown country: "DE"` | Countries use three letter codes like `DEU`. See [country codes](/getting-started#country-codes). |
| `unknown status: "..."`, `unknown sortBy: "..."` | Use one of the values listed on [Search Tenders](/search-tenders). |
| `invalid CPV code "4500": expected 8 digits` | CPV codes must be exactly 8 digits. |
| `publishedAt.from must not be after publishedAt.until` | Swap the dates. |
| `estimatedValue.minValue must not exceed estimatedValue.maxValue` | Swap the values. |
| `estimatedValue.currency is required`, `unknown currency: "..."` | Always send `currency` with a value filter, using a supported ISO 4217 code like `EUR` or `USD`. |
| `invalid cursor` | The cursor was changed, or the filters differ from the request that produced it. Start from the first page. See [Pagination](/pagination). |
| `invalid tender id`, `invalid organisation id` | Ids are UUIDs, for example `0195f1c2-7b3e-7a10-9c4d-3f2a8e6b1d05`. |

## Handling errors

Check the HTTP status first. Anything other than `200` means the body is an error object, not a result.

::: code-group

```python [Python]
import requests

res = requests.post(
    "https://api.tenderapi.eu/api/v1/tenders/search",
    json={"sources": ["TED"]},
)
if res.status_code != 200:
    err = res.json()
    print(res.status_code, err["type"], err["message"])
```

```ts [TypeScript]
const res = await fetch("https://api.tenderapi.eu/api/v1/tenders/search", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({ sources: ["TED"] }),
});
if (!res.ok) {
  const err = await res.json();
  console.error(res.status, err.type, err.message);
}
```

:::