OpenAI Error Decoder

What the OpenAI Error Decoder — Free Online Tool does

The OpenAI Error Decoder explains the errors returned by OpenAI-compatible APIs and what to do about them. Paste an error code or response and it maps common cases, such as authentication failures, rate limits, context-length overflows, invalid requests, and server errors, to likely causes and fixes. It is for developers debugging integrations without digging through documentation mid-incident. Because Plugsky uses the same API conventions, the same errors generally apply.

How to use it

1. Copy the error code and message from your logs or response body.
2. Look the error up in the decoder.
3. Apply the suggested fix and confirm the request shape.
4. Retry with backoff if the error is transient.
5. Check the API docs if the error persists after the documented fix.

FAQ

What does a 401 error mean?

401 Unauthorized means the API key is missing, malformed, or not valid for the endpoint. Check that the key is present in the Authorization header, that it belongs to the right project, and that you did not paste a placeholder value.

How should I handle rate limit errors?

Respect the 429 response by retrying with exponential backoff and jitter, and cap concurrent requests. Read any Retry-After header, reduce burst size, and consider routing simpler requests to smaller models to lower token throughput.

Why do I get a context length error?

The prompt plus the requested output exceeds the model's context window. Trim history, summarize earlier turns, reduce retrieved passages, or switch to a model with a larger context. Count tokens before sending when inputs are user-controlled.

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Canonical pricing and plans: plugsky.com/#sec-pricing · Terms · SLA · Docs

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