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

# database_unavailable

> HTTP 503: the data store could not be reached or returned a record it could not read. Retry with backoff; on POST /v1/runs check replays.

`database_unavailable` means the service could not reach its data store, or read a record from it, while handling your request. Read this page when any route answers with this code.

| HTTP  | `code`                 | Retryable          |
| ----- | ---------------------- | ------------------ |
| `503` | `database_unavailable` | Yes, with backoff. |

## What happened

Routes: the runs routes (`/v1/runs*`), the keys routes (`/v1/keys*`), the usage routes (`/v1/usage*` and `/v1/quota`), and the billing routes (`/v1/billing*`).

The data store failed while serving the request: the connection failed, or a stored record could not be read. Nothing in your request causes this.

On `POST /v1/runs` the data store is used before the run is admitted and again while it runs, so the run may or may not have been stored.

## How to fix

* Retry with backoff (for example 2, 4, 8 and 16 seconds). Log the `request_id` of every failed attempt.
* **`POST /v1/runs`:** retry with the **same** `Idempotency-Key` first. If the run was stored and finished, you get it back with `"replayed": true` and are not charged twice. If you get `202` with `"state": "pending"`, the run was stored but never ran; retry again with a **new** key.
* **`POST /v1/keys` and `POST /v1/keys/{key_id}/rotate`:** list keys with `GET /v1/keys` before you retry, so you do not create or rotate twice.
* **`POST /v1/billing/checkout`:** retrying is safe; you only pay on the checkout page it returns.
* If it persists for several minutes, report a `request_id`.

## Example

```json theme={"system"}
{"error":{"code":"database_unavailable","message":"the durable store is not available","request_id":"req_7d3f0c1a9b2e4f6a8c0d1e2f3a4b5c6d"}}
```

Retrying a read with backoff and your own request id:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash curl theme={"system"}
  for attempt in 1 2 3 4; do
    STATUS=$(curl -sS -o response.json -w '%{http_code}' "https://api.opentype.dev/v1/keys" \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENTYPE_API_KEY" \
      -H "x-request-id: $(uuidgen)")
    case "$STATUS" in
      5??) sleep $((2 ** attempt)) ;;  # back off, then try again
      *) break ;;
    esac
  done
  cat response.json
  ```

  ```typescript TypeScript theme={"system"}
  async function getWithRetry(path: string, maxAttempts = 4) {
    for (let attempt = 1; ; attempt++) {
      const requestId = crypto.randomUUID();
      const res = await fetch(`https://api.opentype.dev${path}`, {
        headers: {
          Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.OPENTYPE_API_KEY}`,
          "x-request-id": requestId, // log it; quote it if the problem persists
        },
      });
      if (res.ok) return res.json();

      const code = (await res.json().catch(() => null))?.error?.code ?? `HTTP ${res.status}`;
      console.error(`GET ${path} -> ${res.status} ${code} (${requestId})`);
      if (res.status < 500 || attempt >= maxAttempts) throw new Error(`${code} (${requestId})`);
      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 2 ** attempt * 1000));
    }
  }

  const data = await getWithRetry("/v1/keys"); // needs keys_read
  ```

  ```python Python theme={"system"}
  import os
  import time
  import uuid

  import requests

  def get_with_retry(path: str, max_attempts: int = 4) -> dict:
      for attempt in range(1, max_attempts + 1):
          request_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
          resp = requests.get(
              f"https://api.opentype.dev{path}",
              headers={
                  "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['OPENTYPE_API_KEY']}",
                  "x-request-id": request_id,  # log it; quote it if the problem persists
              },
              timeout=30,
          )
          if resp.ok:
              return resp.json()

          try:
              code = resp.json()["error"]["code"]
          except ValueError:
              code = f"HTTP {resp.status_code}"
          print(f"GET {path} -> {resp.status_code} {code} ({request_id})")
          if resp.status_code < 500 or attempt == max_attempts:
              raise RuntimeError(f"{code} ({request_id})")
          time.sleep(2 ** attempt)

  data = get_with_retry("/v1/keys")  # needs keys_read
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Related

* [Error handling](/guides/error-handling) - a status-to-action table and a retry helper for every error.
* [Idempotency](/guides/idempotency) - when to reuse an `Idempotency-Key` and when to send a new one.
* [Request ids](/reference/request-ids) - send your own `x-request-id` and quote it when you report a problem.
* [Problem codes](/problems) - every code, its status, and whether a retry can help.