literary-quotes-api

Response codes and errors

The Literary Quotes API uses standard HTTP response codes to indicate the success or failure of a request. Response codes are returned in the HTTP response headers.

A successful request returns an array of Quote objects, or a RandomQuote object. When an error occurs, the API returns a JSON response with details about the error.

The API uses the following HTTP response codes and error messages:

Code	Error	Details
200	OK	Indicates the request was successful and the response body contains the requested data.
400	bad_request	The request could not be understood and may have incorrect parameters. Make sure your query parameters are correct.
401	unauthorized	Authentication failed. Make sure your request includes the Authorization header and that you’re using the correct Base64-encoded username and password.
404	not_found	No quotes match the provided parameters. The resource might not exist or it might be unavailable.
429	too_many_requests	You have exceeded the maximum number of requests. The limit will reset in 60 seconds and you can try again.
500	internal_server_error	An unexpected error occurred. Please try again later. If the problem persists, contact Support.

200 OK

The request was successful and the server responded with the requested quote or array of quotes.

Example response:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "status_code": 200,
  "data": {
      "id": 1,
      "author": "Virginia Woolf",
      "author_id": 18,
      "work": "A Room of One's Own",
      "work_id": 69197,
      "category": "Nonfiction",
      "genre": ["Essays", "Feminism"],
      "publish_date": "1929-10-24",
      "quote_length": 120,
      "source": "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69197",
      "quote": "Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind."
  }
}

400 Bad Request

The request was malformed or contained invalid parameters.

Example JSON Response:

HTTP/1.1 429 Bad Request
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "code": 400,
  "error": "bad_request",
  "details": "The request could not be understood and may have missing or incorrect content or parameters. Make sure your query parameters are correct."
}

different one specially showing parameters that can be used:

if (!validateQueryParams(allowedParams, req)) { return res.status(400).json({ code: 400, error: ‘bad_request’, details: Invalid query parameter. Allowed parameters are: ${allowedParams.join(', ')} });

401 Unauthorized

Authentication failed due to invalid or missing credentials.

Example JSON Response:

HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "code": 401,
  "error": "unauthorized",
  "details": "Authentication failed. Make sure your request includes the Authorization header and that your username and password are correct and Base64 encoded."
}

404 Not found

The requested resource or endpoint does not exist.

Example response:

HTTP/1.1 404 Not found
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "code": 404,
  "error": "not_found",
  "details": "No quotes match the provided query parameters. The resource might not exist or it might be unavailable."
}

429 Too Many Requests

The rate limit has been exceeded.

HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests
Retry-After: 60
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "code": 429,
  "error": "too_many_requests",
  "details": "You have exceeded the maximum number of requests. Please wait for 60 seconds before making another request."
}

500 Internal Server Error

The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.

Example JSON Response:

HTTP/1.1 500 Internal Server Error
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "code": 500,
  "error": "internal_server_error",
  "details": "An unexpected error occurred. Please try again later. If the problem persists, contact support."
}