Diagnose an xAI failure using its actual transport, status and response detail. REST status codes and native Python gRPC exceptions describe related operating problems but should be logged and interpreted in their own formats.
Error format at xAI
The REST debugging guide describes HTTP statuses and provider diagnostics. Preserve the response body before your framework replaces it with a generic error page. Official documentation.
The native Python client uses gRPC status codes and exception details. A native exception should not be presented as a captured REST JSON object. Official documentation.
Record the endpoint or SDK operation, model identifier, time and a redacted diagnostic. Keep credentials and private prompt content out of shared logs. Preserve enough request structure to reproduce the failure with a harmless example.
Error code table
| REST status | What to inspect | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | Arguments, URL parameters or key diagnostic | Read the actual body and compare the minimal request. |
| 401 | Authorization | Verify the bearer credential in the running process. |
| 403 | Key or team permission | Review access with the team administrator. |
| 404 | Model identifier or endpoint | Copy the exact current model and route. |
| 405 | HTTP method | Match the documented method for that route. |
| 415 | Request body and content type | Send a nonempty JSON body with its content-type header. |
| 422 | Field format | Check the rejected field against the endpoint schema. |
| 429 | Request or token capacity | Throttle shared traffic and apply bounded backoff. |
This is a diagnostic summary of the documented REST statuses, not a set of captured error messages. Official documentation.
| Native gRPC status | Diagnostic direction |
|---|---|
| UNAUTHENTICATED | Credential configuration |
| PERMISSION_DENIED | Team or key access |
| NOT_FOUND | Requested model or resource |
| RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED | Capacity or relevant resource constraint |
| DEADLINE_EXCEEDED | The configured request deadline |
| UNAVAILABLE | A transport or service availability failure |
Authentication errors
Inference keys are team-bound and separate from administrative Management API credentials. Confirm which credential type the application expects and which team owns it. Official documentation.
Inspect the environment of the running worker. A new terminal, container or hosted service may read a different secret configuration. After updating the secret, verify that the worker has refreshed it before concluding the replacement key failed.
When using a compatible client, check the configured base URL as well as the key. A correct xAI credential sent to another provider is a routing error, not evidence that xAI issued a broken credential.
Rate and quota errors
xAI capacity includes per-model request bursts and token throughput. Inspect both dimensions when a request is rate-limited. Official documentation.
Billing state is separate: prepaid funds, automatic top-up and invoiced allowance determine the payment path. Check the selected team’s actual configuration when work is blocked by funding. Official documentation.
Avoid changing credentials to treat every rejection. A new key does not change the shared team’s model capacity or create credit. Pause affected work with a visible diagnostic state while the relevant limit or funding issue is resolved.
Request validation errors
REST validation can distinguish a malformed argument, missing JSON content type or incorrectly formatted field. Compare the actual rejected payload with the endpoint’s schema. Official documentation.
Return to the smallest known-working request, then add one optional feature at a time. Keep the corrected field and the failure evidence with your integration notes so a future refactor does not reintroduce it.
Do not repair structured output by guessing what the model intended when the application requires reliable fields. Validate the response and handle failure explicitly. A parser exception after successful generation needs a different fix from a rejected API request.
Model and context errors
A missing model diagnostic can reflect an incorrect identifier or route. Verify the current catalog and the key’s access before changing the application’s prompt. Official documentation.
Measure the complete input after history, tools and retrieved documents have been assembled. A short visible message can still accompany a large hidden workload. Reduce input deliberately while preserving required instructions and evidence.
For a model migration, check unsupported request fields and output behavior as well as the identifier. A compatible transport does not guarantee feature parity across every model or endpoint.
Server errors and status
The native client documents UNAVAILABLE retries and a configurable timeout. Inspect those settings when diagnosing a request that appears to take much longer than expected. Official documentation.
Check xAI service status and preserve a minimal redacted reproduction. The absence of a broad incident does not rule out a request-specific problem; an incident also does not prove that a malformed payload would otherwise succeed.
A deferred request can be accepted while its output is still queued. Keep that pending state separate from a failed request and from a completed answer. Official documentation.
Use the native Python tutorial and key verification to reproduce the baseline before adding application-specific layers.
Use the AI API cost calculator to turn the model and workload you are considering into an estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does the native SDK print a gRPC code?
Does a forbidden response always mean the key is invalid?
Will another key repair a shared team limit?
What does a deferred accepted response mean?
What belongs in a support reproduction?
Sources
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