# SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE

Canonical page: https://docs.ovok.com/errors/service-unavailable

**HTTP 503.** Problem type: [`https://docs.ovok.com/errors/service-unavailable`](https://docs.ovok.com/errors/service-unavailable).

## What this means [#what-this-means]

Ovok or a required upstream service is temporarily unavailable or at capacity. The service may recover without a change to your request.

## Troubleshooting [#troubleshooting]

Check whether the response includes a `Retry-After` header and whether the failure is limited to one endpoint or affects several calls. Avoid increasing request concurrency while the service is unavailable. For a state-changing request, check the resource or operation status before sending it again.

## Retry safely [#retry-safely]

Honor `Retry-After` when it is present. Otherwise use a bounded backoff with a delay between attempts, and retry only an operation that is safe to repeat. If service remains unavailable, stop retrying until it recovers.

## If the problem persists [#if-the-problem-persists]

Share the HTTP status, problem `type`, request path, response timestamp, and `traceId` with your administrator or support contact. Do not include access tokens or sensitive patient data. The [Error responses guide](/errors) explains the response fields and field-level errors.