422
Unprocessable Entity
The server understands the request format but cannot process the contained instructions. The syntax is correct (not a 400), but the content fails semantic validation — like submitting a form with an invalid email address.
What does HTTP 422 mean?
The server understands the request format but cannot process the contained instructions. The syntax is correct (not a 400), but the content fails semantic validation — like submitting a form with an invalid email address.
Common causes
- 1
Form validation failed — required fields are missing, an email format is invalid, a number is out of range, or a string exceeds the max length.
- 2
Business logic validation failed — for example, setting an end date before the start date, or referencing a foreign key that does not exist.
- 3
The request body is syntactically valid JSON but contains fields with the wrong data types (string instead of number, null where required).
How to fix it
- 1
Read the response body. APIs that return 422 almost always include field-level error messages explaining what failed validation.
- 2
Add client-side validation to catch these errors before submitting. Validate required fields, formats, and ranges in the form.
- 3
If the validation rules changed server-side, update your client to match the new requirements. Check API changelog or documentation.
Monitor for HTTP 422 errors
A spike in 422 errors from your API may mean validation rules changed in a deploy and clients are sending data the server now rejects. Uptrack helps you catch these regressions.
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