Api Error Handling

A solid foundation for production API error handling with standardized JSON responses, proper status codes, and request tracing. Includes a custom error class with static helpers for common scenarios, a global Express middleware handler, and a circuit breaker implementation for dealing with flaky downstream services. The code is opinionated in the right ways: shields users from stack traces, separates client from server errors, and includes request IDs for debugging. If you're tired of inconsistent error formats across your endpoints or need to add resilience patterns without reinventing the wheel, this gives you the scaffolding. Python Flask examples are included in the references.

skills.sh installs: 455
GitHub stars: 248
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add secondsky/claude-skills --skill api-error-handling --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

API Error Handling

Implement robust error handling with standardized responses and proper logging.

Standard Error Response Format

{
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "Invalid request parameters",
    "status": 400,
    "requestId": "req_abc123",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "details": [
      { "field": "email", "message": "Invalid email format" }
    ]
  }
}

Error Class (Node.js)

class ApiError extends Error {
  constructor(code, message, status = 500, details = null) {
    super(message);
    this.code = code;
    this.status = status;
    this.details = details;
  }

  static badRequest(message, details) {
    return new ApiError('BAD_REQUEST', message, 400, details);
  }

  static notFound(resource) {
    return new ApiError('NOT_FOUND', `${resource} not found`, 404);
  }

  static unauthorized() {
    return new ApiError('UNAUTHORIZED', 'Authentication required', 401);
  }
}

SKILL.md on GitHub