> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.orbit.devotel.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# INTERNAL_ERROR

> An unexpected error occurred while processing the request, so it failed with HTTP 500.

## What this error means

`INTERNAL_ERROR` is returned with HTTP status **500** when something unexpected
went wrong inside Orbit while processing your request. The envelope is
deliberately generic; the `request_id` in `meta` is the handle that ties the
response to the detailed server-side record of what happened.

Every response for this error carries this page's address in `meta.docs_url`:

```json theme={null}
{
  "error": {
    "code": "INTERNAL_ERROR",
    "message": "An unexpected error occurred",
    "status": 500
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_01J9ZKQ3V8",
    "docs_url": "https://docs.orbit.devotel.io/errors/INTERNAL_ERROR"
  }
}
```

## Cause

| Pattern | Likely cause |
| - | - |
| A single 500 during a database or network blip | A transient fault; a retry with backoff usually succeeds |
| Repeat 500s on the same endpoint and payload | A server-side defect on that request shape, not something in your payload |
| 500s across many endpoints at once | A platform-wide issue; check the status page |

## How to fix it

1. **Retry a small number of times with backoff.** `INTERNAL_ERROR` sits in the
   transient retry class, so one or two spaced retries are appropriate; honor
   a `Retry-After` header when present.
2. **Capture `meta.request_id`.** Log it with the failed request on your side
   so every 500 is traceable.
3. **Open a support ticket if it persists**, and include the `request_id`
   values plus the endpoint and payload shape. The id lets support pull the
   exact server-side record; without it, diagnosis starts from scratch.
4. **Do not retry in a tight loop.** A burst of retries after a 500 can trip
   rate limits and turn one fault into two.

## Related

* [Error Code Reference](https://docs.orbit.devotel.io/reference/error-codes.md#from-a-code-to-a-runbook) —
  `INTERNAL_ERROR` sits in the transient retry class.
* [Error Handling Examples](https://docs.orbit.devotel.io/guides/error-handling-examples.md) — response-envelope
  handling patterns in code.


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