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0006-use-rfc-7807-problem-details-for-errors.md

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0006. Use RFC 7807 Problem Details for Errors

Date: 2026-04-02

Status

Accepted

Context

HTTP APIs need a consistent format for communicating errors to consumers. Without a standard, each endpoint might return a different error shape — plain strings, custom JSON objects, or raw status codes with empty bodies — making client-side error handling fragile and unpredictable.

RFC 7807 (Problem Details for HTTP APIs) defines a standard JSON structure for error responses with well-known fields (type, title, status, detail, instance). ASP.NET Core 7+ includes built-in support for this format via TypedResults.Problem and TypedResults.ValidationProblem.

Decision

We will use RFC 7807 Problem Details for all error responses. Validation failures will use TypedResults.ValidationProblem, which extends the standard shape with a errors field containing field-level messages. All other errors (not found, conflict, internal server error) will use TypedResults.Problem with an appropriate HTTP status code and a human-readable detail field.

Consequences

Positive

  • A single, predictable error shape across all endpoints simplifies client-side error handling — consumers check status and detail without branching on response format.
  • The format is an IETF standard, meaning it is recognisable to developers and interoperable with API tooling, gateways, and monitoring systems that understand Problem Details.
  • Built-in ASP.NET Core support means no custom serialisation code is needed.
  • Validation errors include field-level detail via the errors dictionary, giving consumers enough context to display meaningful feedback.

Negative

  • The response payload is more verbose than a plain string message, which adds minor overhead for simple error cases.
  • Consumers must understand the Problem Details schema to interpret type URIs and distinguish error categories beyond HTTP status codes.

Neutral

  • The type field conventionally holds a URI that identifies the problem type. Most responses rely on the ASP.NET Core default, but individual controllers may override it with problem-specific URIs where appropriate — for example, PlayerController sets Type = "https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Status/409" for conflict responses. In a production API, all type URIs would point to project-owned documentation pages.