How to troubleshoot errors in Zaps

Zaps can connect with over 8,000 apps, making it difficult to cover every specific error scenario. However, the following information can help you identify common errors you may encounter and discover solutions.

This guide will cover:

  • How to identify an error.
  • HTTP status codes, including definitions, possible causes, and suggested next steps.
  • How to recover from errors.
  • Troubleshoot Zaps.
  • What happens if you do not fix an error.

How to identify an error

Zapier assigns all Zap runs a run status. You can view these in your Zap history and in the Zap editor. If a Zap run is unsuccessful, that does not necessarily mean there is an issue. Learn the difference between these unsuccessful statuses:

  • Errored — The run encountered an issue and did not complete. If a Zap errors repeatedly, it will automatically turn off. This article focuses on troubleshooting errored runs.
  • Safely halted — The run purposely stopped, usually because a search step found no results. Unlike errors, safely halted runs will not turn off your Zap.
  • On hold — The run is paused, typically due to a disconnected app, reaching your task limit, or flood protection. Learn how to troubleshoot held runs.
  • Handled error — A step errored, but a custom error handler ran an alternative workflow. The Zap will not turn off automatically.
  • Scheduled — The run errored but Autoreplay is enabled, so Zapier will automatically retry it.

Learn more about all run statuses in Zaps.

You can identify and troubleshoot errored runs using AI-powered troubleshooting in your Zap history or the Zap editor. This feature explains the issue and provides step-by-step instructions to resolve it.

Zap history

Review issues in your Zap history

In your Zap history:

  • Click a Zap run that has an Errored status. You will be redirected to its Zap run details page.
  • Find the errored step, then click the Troubleshoot tab.
  • Zapier will use AI to create troubleshooting instructions for you to review.

AI-powered troubleshooting instructions in Zap history

Zap editor: Zap runs

Review issues in the Zap editor's Zap runs section

In the Zap editor:

  • Click on the Zap runs icon in the left sidebar to expand it.
  • In the list of Zap runs, click the arrow next to a Zap run that errored to expand it.
  • Click Go to step. This will expand the right sidebar and auto-select the errored step.
  • In the right sidebar, click the Troubleshoot tab.
  • Zapier will use AI to create troubleshooting instructions for you to review.

AI-powered troubleshooting instructions in Zap history

Tip

If an outage affects an app used in your Zap, you will see a notification in the affected step. The app's team typically resolves these outages. Contact the app directly for more information or support.

Example outage notification in a Slack step displayed in the Zap editor

Zap editor: Zap status

Review issues in the Zap editor's Status section

The Status section in the editor's left sidebar notifies you when there are any issues with your Zap that will prevent you from publishing it. It appears when you:

To review issues:

  1. In the editor, click theStatus icon in the left sidebar to expand it.
    • The number icon indicates how many issues the Zap has.
  2. Affected steps will display an issue notification box.
  3. Click the issue notification box to open the affected step.
Issue Definition Icon Example
Warning A step has an issue that will prevent you from publishing your Zap. You left a step before completing it.
Error A step has an issue that occurred after you attempt to publish your Zap. You need to reconnect your app.
Info There’s additional info about a step that you should know about. The app you’re using will be deprecated.
Tip

Error, warning, and information icons also appear in the top menu of the affected step and in the sub-section of the affected step where the issue is occurring.

Zap editor: Zap's HTTP log

Review issues in the Zap’s HTTP log

Understanding your Zap’s HTTP log can help you diagnose issues with your Zaps. Though it delves into technical details, the HTTP log is an accessible tool for identifying Zap issues.

To find a HTTP log for a Zap step:

  • In your Zap history, select a Zap run that has an Errored status. You will be redirected to its Zap run details page.
  • Find the errored step, then click the Logs tab.
  • Zapier will display the:
    • HTTP status code
    • Error message
    • API endpoint
  • Click the error log to open a dropdown menu.
  • In theRequest information dropdown menu, you can find detailed log, including:
    • HTTP method
    • API endpoint
    • Parameters
    • Headers
    • Request body

Use this information to identify the cause of your Zap’s error. image

Note

If the step errored as it was missing required information to complete the step, logs will not be available.

Tip

If you cannot read the log, copy and paste it into an AI tool. Then, ask the AI to explain the potential causes for your app's error response.

HTTP status codes

Zapier connects to your apps to receive and send data. When an app's server responds to a request from Zapier, an HTTP status code is sent to Zapier. When an error occurs with your Zap, these error codes can help pinpoint the issue. You can review error codes when you test a step in your Zap or in a specific Zap run detail.

400 - Bad Request

Definition

The server could not understand the request due to invalid syntax.

Possible causes

This may happen when there are missing values in required fields, invalid characters in your input, or an incorrectly formatted request.

Suggested next steps

Review these articles:

401 - Unauthorized

Definition

The request lacks valid authentication credentials.

Possible causes

This usually happens when your access token has expired or been revoked, you changed your password in the app, or the app enforces a session policy that periodically invalidates connections.

Suggested next steps

  • Reconnect your app account in Zapier. Disconnect the app connection, then reconnect it.
  • If the OAuth popup fails or shows an error, try reconnecting in an incognito window or a different browser.
  • For apps managed by a third-party partner, contact the app's support team directly. The issue may be on their side.
403 - Forbidden

Definition

The server understood the request but refused to fulfill it.

Possible causes

This usually happens when your app account has insufficient permission to complete the request. For example, you cannot edit a record if you have view-only access.

Suggested next steps

Check your app connection and account permissions:

  • Confirm your app account is connected properly to Zapier and has the required permissions. You may need to contact your app’s administrator for access and permission.
  • Search for the app’s How to get started page in Zapier’s Help Center to find information about how to connect.
404 - Not Found

Definition

The server couldn’t find the resource you requested.

Possible causes

This usually happens when you are trying to find a record that does not exist in the app.

Suggested next steps

Review this article: Fix "Not found" errors in Zaps.

422 - Unprocessable Entity

Definition

The request was well-formatted but contained errors that prevented the server from fulfilling it.

Possible causes

This usually happens when you send data, but it’s in the wrong format, or there is missing data that the request requires.

Suggested next steps

Check that all Zap fields are entered correctly:

You can use Formatter to change data formats or add a default value as a fallback whenever your mapped fields don't send data.

429 - Too Many Requests

Definition

The user has sent too many requests in a short period.

Possible causes

This usually happens when you exceed either Zapier’s or an app’s rate limit.

Suggested next steps

Review this article: Rate limits and throttling in Zapier.

500 - Internal Server

Definition

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

Possible causes

This is a generic error message that can be caused by a variety of problems in Zapier or with the app you're using.

Suggested next steps

  • If the error only happened once or a few times, it is likely a temporary issue. Replay the failed runs from your Zap history. You can also enable Autoreplay to handle these automatically in the future.
  • If the error occurs on every run, check for ongoing issues:
    • Go to the Zapier Status page to see if there are any outages or scheduled maintenance.
    • Check the app's own status page. The issue could be specific to the app your Zap connects to.
    • If neither shows issues, contact Zapier Support.
Tip

Not all errors include an HTTP status code. If your Zap fails with a "timed out" message, the app took too long to respond to Zapier's request. Learn more in Error: The app did not respond in time and Error: Soft timeout limit reached.

How to recover from errors

After you identify and fix the cause of an error, you can Replay the failed tasks so you do not lose data.

To address future issues, you can enable Autoreplay to automatically retry failed tasks caused by temporary issues, like a brief API outage or a server timeout. You can also use custom error handling to set up an alternative workflow that runs when a step fails.

Troubleshoot Zaps

If your issue is not covered by the HTTP status codes above, explore common problems below or browse the full list of articles in the Troubleshoot Zaps section.

Common errors while building your Zap

Common errors while building your Zap

If you encounter errors while setting up, testing, or publishing your Zap rather than during a Zap run, these articles may help:

Common issues while your Zap is running

Common issues while your Zap is running

If your Zap is turned on but not behaving as expected, these articles may help:

What happens if you do not fix an error

Your Zap will automatically turn off if 95% of its runs result in errors in the last 7 days. Learn more about why your Zap isn’t running.

If your account is on a Team or Enterprise plan, Zapier will send you an email notification to the account owner and provide a grace period before turning off your Zap. Enterprise plan accounts have a 72-hour grace period and Team plan accounts have a 24-hour grace period.

If you have an Enterprise account, you can override the high error ratio setting for an individual Zap.

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