Errors

When something goes wrong, the WiseScribe API returns a JSON error response with an error string describing what happened. Check the HTTP status code first, then read the error message for details.

Before contacting support, double-check your API key, request body format, and that the URL you're submitting is from a supported platform.

Status codes

Name
200 OK
Description
Transcript returned synchronously. Check ok: true and read data.
Name
202 Accepted
Description
Transcription queued for async processing. Poll pollUrl for the result.
Name
400 Bad Request
Description
Malformed request — missing or invalid fields in the request body.
Name
401 Unauthorized
Description
Missing, invalid, or revoked API key.
Name
402 Payment Required
Description
Daily quota exceeded. Upgrade your plan or wait for the quota to reset at 00:00 UTC.
Name
403 Forbidden
Description
You do not have permission to access this resource (e.g., polling a job that belongs to another user).
Name
404 Not Found
Description
The requested resource (job ID, transcript ID) was not found.
Name
422 Unprocessable Entity
Description
The URL is invalid, unsupported, or the content could not be transcribed.
Name
500 Internal Server Error
Description
Something went wrong on our end. These are rare — try again and contact support if it persists.

Error response format

All error responses return a JSON object with an error string. Some errors include additional fields like quota for 402 responses.

Error response

{
  "error": "Unsupported platform. Supported: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Vimeo, Spotify, Apple Podcasts."
}

402 with quota info

{
  "error": "Daily limit reached (20/day on Plus). Upgrade to Pro for higher limits.",
  "quota": {
    "used": 20,
    "limit": 20
  }
}

Common errors

Name
Missing Authorization: Bearer <api_key>
Type
401
Description
No Authorization header was included. Add Authorization: Bearer wsc_YOUR_KEY to the request.
Name
Invalid or revoked API key
Type
401
Description
The key is malformed or has been revoked. Generate a new key at Settings → API Keys.
Name
Missing 'url' in body
Type
400
Description
The request body must include a url field: {"url": "https://..."}.
Name
Body must be JSON: { 'url': '...' }
Type
400
Description
The request body is not valid JSON. Ensure Content-Type: application/json is set.
Name
Unsupported platform
Type
422
Description
The URL is from a platform WiseScribe doesn't support. See supported platforms.
Name
Transcription failed
Type
422
Description
The content was inaccessible, private, or could not be transcribed. Try again or check the URL manually.
Name
Job not found
Type
404
Description
The job ID does not exist. Job IDs are only valid for the account that created them.