Flexport common errors

Flexport Common Errors

Overview

Quick reference for the most common Flexport API v2 errors. The API returns standard HTTP codes with JSON error bodies containing code, message, and sometimes details fields.

Error Reference

401 Unauthorized — Invalid or Missing API Key

{ "error": { "code": "UNAUTHORIZED", "message": "Invalid API key" } }

Causes: Missing Authorization header, expired JWT token, revoked API key.

Fix:

# Verify key is set
echo $FLEXPORT_API_KEY | head -c 10
# Test with cURL
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FLEXPORT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Flexport-Version: 2" \
  https://api.flexport.com/shipments?per=1

403 Forbidden — Insufficient Permissions

Causes: API key lacks required scope, IP whitelist blocking, sandbox key used on production.

Fix: Check key permissions in Flexport Portal > Settings > Developer. Ensure key scope includes the endpoint you are calling.

404 Not Found — Resource Does Not Exist

{ "error": { "code": "NOT_FOUND", "message": "Shipment shp_xxx not found" } }

Causes: Wrong ID format, resource deleted, using test ID in production.

Fix: List resources first to get valid IDs:

curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $FLEXPORT_API_KEY" \
     -H "Flexport-Version: 2" \
     https://api.flexport.com/shipments?per=1 | jq '.data.records[0].id'

422 Unprocessable Entity — Validation Failed

{ "error": { "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR", "message": "Invalid port code", "details": [...] } }

Common validation failures:

Field	Issue	Fix
origin_port.code	Not a valid UN/LOCODE	Use CNSHA, USLAX, DEHAM format
hs_code	Wrong format	Use 6-10 digit codes like 8479.89
cargo_ready_date	In the past	Use future ISO date
freight_type	Unsupported value	Use ocean, air, or trucking
incoterm	Invalid	Use FOB, CIF, EXW, DDP

429 Too Many Requests — Rate Limited

{ "error": { "code": "RATE_LIMITED", "message": "Rate limit exceeded" } }

Fix: Check response headers and back off:

function handleRateLimit(res: Response): number {
  const retryAfter = res.headers.get('Retry-After');
  const remaining = res.headers.get('X-RateLimit-Remaining');
  console.log(`Rate limited. Remaining: ${remaining}. Retry after: ${retryAfter}s`);
  return parseInt(retryAfter || '60') * 1000;
}

500/502/503 — Server Errors

Causes: Flexport internal issue, maintenance window, upstream provider failure.

Fix:

# Check Flexport status page
curl -s https://status.flexport.com/api/v2/status.json | jq '.status'

Retry with exponential backoff for transient 5xx errors. See flexport-rate-limits.

Diagnostic Script

#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Flexport Diagnostics ==="
echo "API Key set: ${FLEXPORT_API_KEY:+YES}"
echo "Key prefix: ${FLEXPORT_API_KEY:0:8}..."
echo -n "API status: "
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FLEXPORT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Flexport-Version: 2" \
  https://api.flexport.com/shipments?per=1
echo ""
echo -n "Status page: "
curl -s https://status.flexport.com/api/v2/status.json | jq -r '.status.description'

Escalation Path

1. Run diagnostic script above
2. Collect request ID from response headers (X-Request-Id)
3. Check Flexport Status
4. Contact Flexport support with request ID and error details

Resources

• Flexport API Reference
• Flexport Status Page
• Developer Portal

Next Steps

For comprehensive debugging, see flexport-debug-bundle.