Anthropic Common Errors

Overview

Quick reference for the top 10 most common Anthropic errors and their solutions.

Prerequisites

• Anthropic SDK installed
• API credentials configured
• Access to error logs

Instructions

Step 1: Identify the Error

Check error message and code in your logs or console.

Step 2: Find Matching Error Below

Match your error to one of the documented cases.

Step 3: Apply Solution

Follow the solution steps for your specific error.

Output

• Identified error cause
• Applied fix
• Verified resolution

Error Handling

Authentication Failed

Error Message:

Authentication error: Invalid API key

Cause: API key is missing, expired, or invalid.

Solution:

# Verify API key is set
echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

Rate Limit Exceeded

Error Message:

Rate limit exceeded. Please retry after X seconds.

Cause: Too many requests in a short period.

Solution:

Implement exponential backoff. See anthropic-rate-limits skill.

Network Timeout

Error Message:

Request timeout after 30000ms

Cause: Network connectivity or server latency issues.

Solution:

// Increase timeout
const client = new Client({ timeout: 60000 });

Examples

Quick Diagnostic Commands

# Check Anthropic status
curl -s https://status.anthropic.com

# Verify API connectivity
curl -I https://api.anthropic.com

# Check local configuration
env | grep ANTHROPIC

Escalation Path

1. Collect evidence with anthropic-debug-bundle
2. Check Anthropic status page
3. Contact support with request ID

Resources

• Anthropic Status Page
• Anthropic Support
• Anthropic Error Codes

Next Steps

For comprehensive debugging, see anthropic-debug-bundle.