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name: clay-common-errors description: | Diagnose and fix Clay common errors and exceptions. Use when encountering Clay errors, debugging failed requests, or troubleshooting integration issues. Trigger with phrases like "clay error", "fix clay", "clay not working", "debug clay". allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Bash(curl:*) version: 1.0.0 license: MIT author: Jeremy Longshore jeremy@intentsolutions.io

Clay Common Errors

Overview

Quick reference for the top 10 most common Clay errors and their solutions.

Prerequisites

• Clay SDK installed
• API credentials configured
• Access to error logs

Instructions

Step 1: Identify the Error

Check error message and code in your logs or console.

Step 2: Find Matching Error Below

Match your error to one of the documented cases.

Step 3: Apply Solution

Follow the solution steps for your specific error.

Output

• Identified error cause
• Applied fix
• Verified resolution

Error Handling

Authentication Failed

Error Message:

Authentication error: Invalid API key

Cause: API key is missing, expired, or invalid.

Solution:

# Verify API key is set
echo $CLAY_API_KEY

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Rate Limit Exceeded

Error Message:

Rate limit exceeded. Please retry after X seconds.

Cause: Too many requests in a short period.

Solution: Implement exponential backoff. See clay-rate-limits skill.

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Network Timeout

Error Message:

Request timeout after 30000ms

Cause: Network connectivity or server latency issues.

Solution:

// Increase timeout
const client = new Client({ timeout: 60000 });

Examples

Quick Diagnostic Commands

# Check Clay status
curl -s https://status.clay.com

# Verify API connectivity
curl -I https://api.clay.com

# Check local configuration
env | grep CLAY

Escalation Path

1. Collect evidence with clay-debug-bundle
2. Check Clay status page
3. Contact support with request ID

Resources

• Clay Status Page
• Clay Support
• Clay Error Codes

Next Steps

For comprehensive debugging, see clay-debug-bundle.