Determining if a Failure is Global or Isolated
Before diving into individual error codes, first determine the scope of the failure — this significantly narrows down the likely cause.
- Switch the toggle to Total Users in the Journey analytics view.
- Analyse the ratio:
- If 100% of users are failing at a node → likely an Authentication or Mapping error.
- If only a small percentage (e.g., 5%) are failing → likely a Consent or Bad Request (data quality) issue.
Check Journey Trace Logs First
Always begin by reviewing the Journey Trace logs for the specific execution. The logs include the raw error response from the destination, which often contains additional context beyond the error code.
Validate Destination Credentials Regularly
AUTHENTICATION_ERROR is one of the most common failure reasons. Set up periodic credential rotation reminders and ensure your Journey configurations are updated whenever tokens or API keys are refreshed via Settings > Connections.
Test Payload Structure Before Production
BAD_REQUEST and EVENT_PARSING_FAILED errors typically originate from schema mismatches. Always validate your event payload against the destination’s API schema in a staging environment before deploying to production.
Tips & Warnings
Automatic Retries — The system handles retries automatically for SERVER_ERROR and SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE. Do not manually re-inject profiles until the external service is confirmed stable. Premature re-injection can result in duplicate events being delivered once the service recovers.
Primary Identifier Mapping — Always ensure your Primary Identifier (e.g., external_id or email) is mapped correctly and is never null. 90% of BAD_REQUEST errors are caused by a null value in the primary ID field. Validate this mapping first before investigating other causes.
Getting Help
If you encounter an error not listed in this guide, or if the issue persists after following the recommended actions, contact the Support Engineering team.
Email: support@zeotap.com
When contacting support, include the following for faster resolution:
- Journey execution ID
- Error code and timestamp
- Destination name and type
- Request ID from the Execution Details panel
- Steps already taken to resolve the issue
