Claude API 500 (api_error)
Is there an outage right now?
Claude API official status is operational. If this error persists, it is likely an implementation or environment issue on your side.
View Claude API status →What this error means
500 (api_error) is an unexpected internal error on Anthropic's side. Unlike 429 or 529 it is not about your limits—it usually means something went wrong server-side. It is often transient.
Common causes
- •Transient internal fault on Anthropic's side
- •Instability in a specific model or region
- •Fallout from a larger incident
- •Rarely, an edge-case request that trips a server-side bug
How to fix
- 1.Retry with exponential backoff plus jitter
- 2.If it repeats on one specific request, simplify or vary the input to isolate it
- 3.Temporarily fall back to another model
- 4.Check this page and the Anthropic status page—if it persists it is an outage, not your code
When waiting helps (and when it won't)
Server-side—retry after seconds to minutes. If it persists across many requests, check the official status; it is likely an incident.
Alternatives when Claude API is down
Related errors
FAQ
What is 500 api_error?
500 (api_error) is an unexpected internal error on Anthropic's side. Unlike 429 or 529 it is not about your limits—it usually means something went wrong server-side. It is often transient.
How do I fix 500 api_error?
Retry with exponential backoff plus jitter / If it repeats on one specific request, simplify or vary the input to isolate it / Temporarily fall back to another model / Check this page and the Anthropic status page—if it persists it is an outage, not your code