---
title: handle_errors (Caddyfile directive)
---

# handle_errors

Sets up error handlers.

When the normal HTTP request handlers return an error, normal processing stops and the error handlers are invoked. Error handlers form a route which is just like normal routes, and they can do anything that normal routes can do. This enables great control and flexibility when handling errors during HTTP requests. For example, you can serve static error pages, templated error pages, or reverse proxy to another backend to handle errors.

A request's context is carried into error routes, so any values set on the request context such as [site root](root) or [vars](vars) will be preserved in error handlers, too. Additionally, [new placeholders](#placeholders) are available when handling errors.

Note that certain directives, for example [`reverse_proxy`](reverse_proxy) which may write a response with an HTTP status which is classified as an error, will _not_ trigger the error routes.

You may use the [`error`](error) directive to explicitly trigger an error based on your own routing decisions.


## Syntax

```caddy-d
handle_errors {
	<directives...>
}
```

- **<directives...>** is a list of HTTP handler [directives](/docs/caddyfile/directives) and [matchers](/docs/caddyfile/matchers), one per line.


## Placeholders

The following placeholders are available while handling errors. They are [Caddyfile shorthands](/docs/caddyfile/concepts#placeholders) for the full placeholders which can be found in [the JSON docs for an HTTP server's error routes](/docs/json/apps/http/servers/errors/#routes).

| Placeholder | Description |
|---|---|
| `{err.status_code}` | The recommended HTTP status code |
| `{err.status_text}` | The status text associated with the recommended status code |
| `{err.message}` | The error message |
| `{err.trace}` | The origin of the error |
| `{err.id}` | An identifier for this occurrence of the error |


## Examples

Custom error pages based on the status code (i.e. a page called `404.html` for 404 errors). Note that [`file_server`](file_server) preserves the error's HTTP status code when run in `handle_errors` (assumes you set a [site root](/docs/caddyfile/directives/root) in your site beforehand):

```caddy-d
handle_errors {
	rewrite * /{err.status_code}.html
	file_server
}
```

A single error page that uses [`templates`](/docs/caddyfile/directives/templates) to write a custom error message:

```caddy-d
handle_errors {
	rewrite * /error.html
	templates
	file_server
}
```

If you want to provide custom error pages only for some error codes, you can check the existence of the custom error files beforehand with a [`file`](/docs/caddyfile/matchers#file) matcher:

```caddy-d
handle_errors {
	@custom_err file /err-{err.status_code}.html /err.html
	handle @custom_err {
		rewrite * {file_match.relative}
		file_server
	}
	respond "{err.status_code} {err.status_text}"
}
```

Reverse proxy to a professional server that is highly qualified for handling HTTP errors and improving your day 😸:

```caddy-d
handle_errors {
	rewrite * /{err.status_code}
	reverse_proxy https://http.cat {
		header_up Host {upstream_hostport}
	}
}
```

Simply use [`respond`](/docs/caddyfile/directives/respond) to return the error code and name

```caddy-d
handle_errors {
	respond "{err.status_code} {err.status_text}"
}
```

To handle specific error codes differently, use an [`expression`](/docs/caddyfile/matchers#expression) matcher, using [`handle`](/docs/caddyfile/directives/handle) for mutual exclusivity:

```caddy-d
handle_errors {
	@404-410 expression `{err.status_code} in [404, 410]`
	handle @404-410 {
		respond "It's a 404 or 410 error!"
	}

	@5xx expression `{err.status_code} >= 500 && {err.status_code} < 600`
	handle @5xx {
		respond "It's a 5xx error."
	}

	handle {
		respond "It's another error"
	}
}
```
