Error handling

The WorkOS Node.js SDK provides structured error handling with specific exception types for different error scenarios. This guide covers all exception types, their properties, and how to handle them effectively.

Exception hierarchy

All WorkOS exceptions implement the RequestException interface and extend the native JavaScript Error class:

interface RequestException {
  status: number;        // HTTP status code
  name: string;          // Exception class name
  message: string;       // Human-readable error message
  requestID: string;     // WorkOS request ID for debugging
}

Exception types

ApiKeyRequiredException

Thrown when an API key is required but not provided. Status: 403 When it occurs: When attempting to call a server-side method without initializing the client with an API key. From api-key-required.exception.ts:1:

export class ApiKeyRequiredException extends Error {
  readonly status = 403;
  readonly name = 'ApiKeyRequiredException';
  readonly path: string;

  constructor(path: string) {
    super(
      `API key required for "${path}". ` +
        `For server-side apps, initialize with: new WorkOS("sk_..."). ` +
        `For browser/mobile/CLI apps, use authenticateWithCodeAndVerifier() and authenticateWithRefreshToken() which work without an API key.`,
    );
    this.path = path;
  }
}

Example:

import { ApiKeyRequiredException } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  const workos = new WorkOS({ clientId: 'client_...' }); // No API key
  await workos.organizations.listOrganizations(); // Requires API key
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof ApiKeyRequiredException) {
    console.error('API key required for:', error.path);
    console.error('Status:', error.status); // 403
  }
}

UnauthorizedException

Thrown when the API key is invalid or the request cannot be authorized. Status: 401 When it occurs: Invalid or expired API key, missing authentication credentials. From unauthorized.exception.ts:3:

export class UnauthorizedException extends Error implements RequestException {
  readonly status = 401;
  readonly name = 'UnauthorizedException';
  readonly message: string;

  constructor(readonly requestID: string) {
    super();
    this.message = `Could not authorize the request. Maybe your API key is invalid?`;
  }
}

Example:

import { UnauthorizedException } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  const workos = new WorkOS('sk_invalid_key');
  await workos.userManagement.getUser('user_123');
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof UnauthorizedException) {
    console.error('Authorization failed');
    console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
    // Check your API key in the WorkOS dashboard
  }
}

BadRequestException

Thrown when the request is malformed or contains invalid parameters. Status: 400 When it occurs: Invalid request parameters, malformed data, validation failures. From bad-request.exception.ts:3:

export class BadRequestException extends Error implements RequestException {
  readonly status = 400;
  readonly name = 'BadRequestException';
  readonly message: string = 'Bad request';
  readonly code?: string;
  readonly errors?: unknown[];
  readonly requestID: string;

  constructor({
    code,
    errors,
    message,
    requestID,
  }: {
    code?: string;
    errors?: unknown[];
    message?: string;
    requestID: string;
  }) {
    super();
    this.requestID = requestID;
    if (message) this.message = message;
    if (code) this.code = code;
    if (errors) this.errors = errors;
  }
}

Example:

import { BadRequestException } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  await workos.userManagement.createUser({
    email: 'invalid-email', // Invalid format
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof BadRequestException) {
    console.error('Bad request:', error.message);
    console.error('Error code:', error.code);
    console.error('Validation errors:', error.errors);
    console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
  }
}

NotFoundException

Thrown when the requested resource cannot be found. Status: 404 When it occurs: Accessing a resource that doesn’t exist or has been deleted. From not-found.exception.ts:3:

export class NotFoundException extends Error implements RequestException {
  readonly status = 404;
  readonly name = 'NotFoundException';
  readonly message: string;
  readonly code?: string;
  readonly requestID: string;

  constructor({
    code,
    message,
    path,
    requestID,
  }: {
    code?: string;
    message?: string;
    path: string;
    requestID: string;
  }) {
    super();
    this.code = code;
    this.message =
      message ?? `The requested path '${path}' could not be found.`;
    this.requestID = requestID;
  }
}

Example:

import { NotFoundException } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  await workos.userManagement.getUser('user_nonexistent');
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof NotFoundException) {
    console.error('Resource not found:', error.message);
    console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
    // Handle missing resource (e.g., show 404 page)
  }
}

ConflictException

Thrown when the request conflicts with the current state of the server. Status: 409 When it occurs: Attempting to create a resource that already exists, or modifying a resource that has been changed by another request. From conflict.exception.ts:3:

export class ConflictException extends Error implements RequestException {
  readonly status = 409;
  readonly name = 'ConflictException';
  readonly requestID: string;

  constructor({
    error,
    message,
    requestID,
  }: {
    error?: string;
    message?: string;
    requestID: string;
  }) {
    super();
    this.requestID = requestID;
    if (message) {
      this.message = message;
    } else if (error) {
      this.message = `Error: ${error}`;
    } else {
      this.message = `An conflict has occurred on the server.`;
    }
  }
}

Example:

import { ConflictException } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  await workos.organizations.createOrganization({
    name: 'Acme Corp',
    domains: ['acme.com'], // Domain already claimed
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof ConflictException) {
    console.error('Conflict:', error.message);
    console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
    // Handle conflict (e.g., suggest alternative)
  }
}

UnprocessableEntityException

Thrown when the request is well-formed but cannot be processed due to semantic errors. Status: 422 When it occurs: Business logic validation failures, unmet requirements. From unprocessable-entity.exception.ts:4:

export class UnprocessableEntityException
  extends Error
  implements RequestException
{
  readonly status = 422;
  readonly name = 'UnprocessableEntityException';
  readonly message: string = 'Unprocessable entity';
  readonly code?: string;
  readonly requestID: string;

  constructor({
    code,
    errors,
    message,
    requestID,
  }: {
    code?: string;
    errors?: UnprocessableEntityError[];
    message?: string;
    requestID: string;
  }) {
    super();
    this.requestID = requestID;
    if (message) this.message = message;
    if (code) this.code = code;

    if (errors) {
      const requirement = errors.length === 1 ? 'requirement' : 'requirements';
      this.message = `The following ${requirement} must be met:\n`;
      for (const { code } of errors) {
        this.message = this.message.concat(`\t${code}\n`);
      }
    }
  }
}

Example:

import { UnprocessableEntityException } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  await workos.userManagement.createUser({
    email: '[email protected]',
    password: '123', // Too weak
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof UnprocessableEntityException) {
    console.error('Validation failed:', error.message);
    console.error('Error code:', error.code);
    console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
    // Show validation errors to user
  }
}

RateLimitExceededException

Thrown when the rate limit for API requests has been exceeded. Status: 429 When it occurs: Making too many requests in a short period. From rate-limit-exceeded.exception.ts:7:

export class RateLimitExceededException extends GenericServerException {
  readonly name = 'RateLimitExceededException';

  constructor(
    message: string,
    requestID: string,
    /**
     * The number of seconds to wait before retrying the request.
     */
    readonly retryAfter: number | null,
  ) {
    super(429, message, {}, requestID);
  }
}

Example:

import { RateLimitExceededException } from '@workos-inc/node';

async function makeRequestWithRetry() {
  try {
    return await workos.userManagement.listUsers();
  } catch (error) {
    if (error instanceof RateLimitExceededException) {
      console.error('Rate limit exceeded');
      console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
      
      if (error.retryAfter) {
        console.log(`Retry after ${error.retryAfter} seconds`);
        await new Promise(resolve => 
          setTimeout(resolve, error.retryAfter * 1000)
        );
        return makeRequestWithRetry(); // Retry
      }
    }
    throw error;
  }
}

OauthException

Thrown when OAuth authentication fails. Status: Variable (depends on OAuth error) When it occurs: OAuth flow errors, invalid grants, expired tokens. From oauth.exception.ts:3:

export class OauthException extends Error implements RequestException {
  readonly name = 'OauthException';

  constructor(
    readonly status: number,
    readonly requestID: string,
    readonly error: string | undefined,
    readonly errorDescription: string | undefined,
    readonly rawData: unknown,
  ) {
    super();
    if (error && errorDescription) {
      this.message = `Error: ${error}\nError Description: ${errorDescription}`;
    } else if (error) {
      this.message = `Error: ${error}`;
    } else {
      this.message = `An error has occurred.`;
    }
  }
}

Example:

import { OauthException } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  await workos.userManagement.authenticateWithCode({
    code: 'expired_code',
    clientId: 'client_...',
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof OauthException) {
    console.error('OAuth error:', error.error);
    console.error('Description:', error.errorDescription);
    console.error('Status:', error.status);
    console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
  }
}

GenericServerException

Thrown for general server errors that don’t fit other categories. Status: Variable (5xx server errors) When it occurs: Internal server errors, service unavailable, unexpected errors. From generic-server.exception.ts:3:

export class GenericServerException extends Error implements RequestException {
  readonly name: string = 'GenericServerException';
  readonly message: string = 'The request could not be completed.';

  constructor(
    readonly status: number,
    message: string | undefined,
    readonly rawData: unknown,
    readonly requestID: string,
  ) {
    super();
    if (message) {
      this.message = message;
    }
  }
}

Example:

import { GenericServerException } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  await workos.userManagement.getUser('user_123');
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof GenericServerException) {
    console.error('Server error:', error.message);
    console.error('Status:', error.status);
    console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
    console.error('Raw data:', error.rawData);
    // Implement retry logic or alert monitoring
  }
}

ParseError

Thrown when the response body cannot be parsed as JSON. Status: 500 When it occurs: Malformed JSON in API response, network corruption. From parse-error.ts:3:

export class ParseError extends Error implements RequestException {
  readonly name = 'ParseError';
  readonly status = 500;
  readonly rawBody: string;
  readonly rawStatus: number;
  readonly requestID: string;

  constructor({
    message,
    rawBody,
    rawStatus,
    requestID,
  }: {
    message: string;
    rawBody: string;
    requestID: string;
    rawStatus: number;
  }) {
    super(message);
    this.rawBody = rawBody;
    this.rawStatus = rawStatus;
    this.requestID = requestID;
  }
}

Example:

import { ParseError } from '@workos-inc/node';

try {
  await workos.userManagement.getUser('user_123');
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof ParseError) {
    console.error('Failed to parse response:', error.message);
    console.error('Raw body:', error.rawBody);
    console.error('Status:', error.rawStatus);
    console.error('Request ID:', error.requestID);
    // Report to WorkOS support with request ID
  }
}

Error handling implementation

The SDK handles errors in the handleHttpError method: From workos.ts:430:

private handleHttpError({ path, error }: { path: string; error: unknown }) {
  if (!(error instanceof HttpClientError)) {
    throw new Error(`Unexpected error: ${error}`, { cause: error });
  }

  const { response } = error as HttpClientError<WorkOSResponseError>;

  if (response) {
    const { status, data, headers } = response;
    const requestID = headers['X-Request-ID'] ?? '';
    const { code, error_description, error, errors, message } = data;

    switch (status) {
      case 401:
        throw new UnauthorizedException(requestID);
      case 409:
        throw new ConflictException({ requestID, message, error });
      case 422:
        throw new UnprocessableEntityException({ code, errors, message, requestID });
      case 404:
        throw new NotFoundException({ code, message, path, requestID });
      case 429:
        const retryAfter = headers.get('Retry-After');
        throw new RateLimitExceededException(
          data.message,
          requestID,
          retryAfter ? Number(retryAfter) : null,
        );
      default:
        if (error || error_description) {
          throw new OauthException(status, requestID, error, error_description, data);
        } else if (code && errors) {
          throw new BadRequestException({ code, errors, message, requestID });
        } else {
          throw new GenericServerException(status, data.message, data, requestID);
        }
    }
  }
}

Best practices

Always catch specific exceptions

try {
  await workos.userManagement.getUser('user_123');
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof NotFoundException) {
    // Handle missing user
  } else if (error instanceof UnauthorizedException) {
    // Handle auth failure
  } else if (error instanceof RateLimitExceededException) {
    // Handle rate limit
  } else {
    // Handle unexpected errors
    throw error;
  }
}

Use request IDs for debugging

All exceptions include a requestID property that can be used to debug issues with WorkOS support:

try {
  await workos.userManagement.getUser('user_123');
} catch (error) {
  if ('requestID' in error) {
    console.error(`Request ID for support: ${error.requestID}`);
  }
}

Implement retry logic for rate limits

async function withRetry<T>(
  fn: () => Promise<T>,
  maxRetries = 3
): Promise<T> {
  let lastError;
  
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error) {
      lastError = error;
      
      if (error instanceof RateLimitExceededException) {
        const delay = error.retryAfter 
          ? error.retryAfter * 1000 
          : Math.pow(2, i) * 1000;
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
        continue;
      }
      
      throw error; // Don't retry other errors
    }
  }
  
  throw lastError;
}

// Usage
const users = await withRetry(() => workos.userManagement.listUsers());

Type-safe error handling

import { 
  NotFoundException,
  UnauthorizedException,
  RateLimitExceededException 
} from '@workos-inc/node';

function handleWorkOSError(error: unknown): void {
  if (error instanceof NotFoundException) {
    console.log('Resource not found');
  } else if (error instanceof UnauthorizedException) {
    console.log('Invalid credentials');
  } else if (error instanceof RateLimitExceededException) {
    console.log(`Rate limited. Retry after ${error.retryAfter}s`);
  } else {
    console.error('Unexpected error:', error);
  }
}

Summary

Structured exceptions

All exceptions implement a consistent interface with status codes and request IDs.

Type safety

Use TypeScript’s instanceof to handle specific exception types.

Request IDs

Every exception includes a request ID for debugging with WorkOS support.

Retry logic

Implement retry logic for rate limits using the retryAfter property.

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Runtime Support

Exception hierarchy

Exception types

ApiKeyRequiredException

UnauthorizedException

BadRequestException

NotFoundException

ConflictException

UnprocessableEntityException

RateLimitExceededException

OauthException

GenericServerException

ParseError

Error handling implementation

Best practices

Always catch specific exceptions

Use request IDs for debugging

Implement retry logic for rate limits

Type-safe error handling

Summary

Structured exceptions

Type safety

Request IDs

Retry logic

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Runtime Support

​Exception hierarchy

​Exception types

​ApiKeyRequiredException

​UnauthorizedException

​BadRequestException

​NotFoundException

​ConflictException

​UnprocessableEntityException

​RateLimitExceededException

​OauthException

​GenericServerException

​ParseError

​Error handling implementation

​Best practices

​Always catch specific exceptions

​Use request IDs for debugging

​Implement retry logic for rate limits

​Type-safe error handling

​Summary

Structured exceptions

Type safety

Request IDs

Retry logic

​Related resources

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Exception hierarchy

Exception types

ApiKeyRequiredException

UnauthorizedException

BadRequestException

NotFoundException

ConflictException

UnprocessableEntityException

RateLimitExceededException

OauthException

GenericServerException

ParseError

Error handling implementation

Best practices

Always catch specific exceptions

Use request IDs for debugging

Implement retry logic for rate limits

Type-safe error handling

Summary

Related resources