Error Codes

All errors are returned as JSON with a single error field describing the problem, alongside a conventional HTTP status code.

Error response shapejson

{
  "error": "Invalid or missing API key"
}

Status codes

Status	Example message	How to resolve
400 Bad Request	`document_id is required`	A required parameter is missing or malformed. The error message names the parameter; check the endpoint docs for the expected format.
401 Unauthorized	`Invalid or missing API key`	Pass a valid key as api_key in the JSON body (v2) or query string (v1). Create or check keys on the API Keys page.
402 Payment Required	`Excel API requires an active SEC Blast App subscription. Subscribe at https://secblast.com/pricing`	Returned only for Excel add-in keys without an active SEC Blast App subscription.
429 Too Many Requests	`Monthly request limit exceeded. Upgrade your plan at https://secblastapi.com/pricing`	You hit your monthly request or bandwidth allowance. Wait for the monthly reset or upgrade your plan.
404 Not Found	`(empty body or error message)`	The filing, document, or entity does not exist. Verify the accession number, document ID, or CIK.
500 Internal Server Error	`(error message describing the failure)`	Something failed on our side. Retry with backoff; if it persists, email support@secblast.com with the request that failed.

Treat 4xx as permanent for the given request: fix the parameters or key rather than retrying.
Retry 5xx with exponential backoff (e.g. 1s, 2s, 4s, three attempts).
On 429, check the usage dashboard to see which allowance you exhausted, since requests and bandwidth are tracked separately (see rate limits).