> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.revbridge.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Errors > Every status code and message the Events API returns, and what to do about each one. Errors come from two places, and they look different: * **The gateway** checks the key, the size and the rate before your request reaches the API. It answers with a plain **HTML page**, not JSON. * **The Events API** validates the payload and answers with **JSON** that includes a `trace_id`. Check the status code first, and parse JSON only for `202`, `400`, `500` and `503` responses whose `Content-Type` is `application/json`. ## Status codes | Status | Body | Meaning | What to do | | - | - | - | - | | `202` | JSON | At least one user accepted | Read `errors` and `warnings`. See [Response](https://docs.revbridge.ai/developer/ingesting-events.md#response). | | `400` | JSON | The payload is invalid, or every user was rejected | Fix it using the messages below. Don't retry unchanged. | | `401` | HTML | Missing `Authorization` header, or a wrong, deleted or malformed key | Send `Authorization: Bearer rbak_…` with an active key. | | `403` | HTML | A publishable `rbpk_` key used outside `/ingest` | Use a secret key for that API. | | `405` | Text | Wrong HTTP method | Use `POST`. | | `413` | HTML | Body over 50 MB | Split the batch. Requests over 10 MB already fail with `400`. | | `500` | JSON or HTML | Key validation was temporarily unavailable | Retry with backoff. | | `503` | HTML | Rate limit exceeded | Retry with backoff, and batch more users per request. | | `503` | JSON | `service temporarily unavailable`: the API couldn't take the events | Retry the same request with backoff. | See [Limits & Retries](https://docs.revbridge.ai/developer/limits.md) for the limits and a retry loop. ## Request errors (400) These reject the whole request. The body is `{ "error": "", "trace_id": "…" }`. | `error` | Cause | Fix | | - | - | - | | `invalid JSON body` | Malformed JSON, an empty body, or a body between 10 and 50 MB | Validate the JSON. Keep each request under 10 MB. | | `users array is required and must not be empty` | `users` is missing or `[]` | Send at least one user. | | `users array exceeds maximum of 1000` | More than 1,000 users | Split the batch. | | `validation failed` | Every user was rejected | Read the `errors` list; the messages are below. | ## User errors Each entry in `errors` has a `userIndex` (the zero-based position in `users`) and a `message`. A rejected user can have several entries. `events[N]` is the zero-based position of the event inside that user. | `message` | Fix | | - | - | | `identifiers is required` | Add an `identifiers` object. | | `at least one identifier is required (user_id, email, phone_number, or anon_id)` | Add one of those four. | | `all provided identifiers have invalid values (see warnings)` | Every identifier was dropped. The `warnings` for the same `userIndex` say why. | | `age must be a number` | Send `age` as a number, or leave it out. | | `events array is required and must not be empty` | Add at least one event. | | `events[N]: event_name is required` | Add `event_name`. | | `events[N]: event_name must be a non-empty string` | `event_name` is empty or not a string. | | `events[N]: timestamp must be a string` | Send the timestamp as text, not as a number. | | `events[N]: timestamp must be valid ISO 8601` | Use `2026-01-15T14:30:00Z`. A date without a time is rejected. | | `events[N]: revenue must be a number` | Send a number such as `49.99`. | | `events[N]: event_value must be a number` | Send a number. | ## Warnings A warning means the user was **accepted**, but one identifier was dropped. The message names the field and ends with `— field ignored`: | `message` | Cause | | - | - | | `email: empty value — field ignored` | An identifier sent as `""` (also for `user_id`, `phone_number`, `anon_id`) | | `user_id: placeholder value "null" is not an identifier — field ignored` | A placeholder such as `null`, `test`, `unknown` or `0` | | `email: "jane@" is not a valid email address — field ignored` | The email doesn't look like `name@domain.tld` | | `phone_number: "+55" is not a valid phone number (expected E.164, e.g. +5511999887766) — field ignored` | Fewer than 8 or more than 15 digits, letters, or one digit repeated | Fix warnings at the source. Each one is a contact you can't reach or a person who won't match. The rules are in [Validation](https://docs.revbridge.ai/developer/user-identification.md#validation). ## Accepted but wrong Some mistakes pass validation, return `202`, and still damage your data. The API can't flag them: * **No `timestamp` on imported history**: every event is dated at import time. See [Send history with real timestamps](https://docs.revbridge.ai/developer/ingesting-events.md#send-history-with-real-timestamps). * **The same order sent twice**: both are stored. See [Send each order once](https://docs.revbridge.ai/developer/best-practices.md#send-each-order-once). * **`product_ids` as objects or a plain string**: product data is lost. See [Standard fields](https://docs.revbridge.ai/developer/event-types.md#standard-fields). * **No email or phone**: the person can't receive a message. * **No `first_name`**: messages go out without the name. When you contact [support@revbridge.ai](mailto:support@revbridge.ai) about a request, include its `trace_id`. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.