# Common Error Messages

This page walks through some of the most common error messages returned when calling the VeChainStats APIs. These calls return a status code '0' and a formulated cause of the error in the result field. 

```http
{
   "status":"0",
   "message":"NOTOK",
   "result":"Max rate limit reached, please use API Key for higher rate limit"
}
```

### API Key Errors

> "Invalid API Key"\
> "Missing API Key"\
> "Inactive API Key"

These errors occur when the provided API Key doesn't provide access to the requested endpoint (invalid), isn't provided (missing) or isn't active anymore (inactive).

To resolve, ensure that you have copy pasted the right key and your API plan is allowed to ping the requested endpoint.

New API Keys may take a moment to be fully activated, so if your newly created key is returning an error please consider waiting for a few minutes.

### Date Format Invalid

> Date format invalid: expected format YYYY-mm-dd
>
> Date format invalid: prior genesis block
>
> Date format invalid: in future

This error occurs in different forms. Please make sure to stick to the correct date format requested by the API, the date isn't before VeChain mainnet launch and that the endpoint allows for a date before/after the current date. 

### Max rate limit

> Request limit exceeded for ' ' plan

This error occurs when you **exceed the rate limit** assigned to your API key.

To resolve, adhere to the [**rate limits**](/support/rate-limits.md) of your API plan decreasing the rate of your requests or upgrade your plan. 

In some scenarios caching the returns for some period before sending a new request will fix this.


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