Interpreting and handling Data API error codes

Intermediate

Understand how the Data API reports errors through the messages array, recognize the most common error codes, and handle them gracefully in FileMaker scripts.

What you'll learn

How error information is structured in the Data API response
The most common error codes and what they mean
How to translate error codes into user-friendly messages inside a FileMaker script

The Data API always returns a messages array — even on success. The code field in that array is the definitive indicator of what happened, and your scripts must check it, not just the HTTP status code.

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Read the messages array from every response

Every Data API response contains a messages array. Code "0" means success. Any other code is an error. Always extract and check this value.

FileMaker Script

Set Variable [ $code ; Value:
  JSONGetElement ( $response ; "messages[0].code" )
]
Set Variable [ $message ; Value:
  JSONGetElement ( $response ; "messages[0].message" )
]

If [ $code ≠ "0" ]
  Exit Script [ Result: "api-error:" & $code & " — " & $message ]
End If

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