FAQ: What should be done if a 500 Internal Server Error is received while calling an RChilli API?

Category: API Integration / Troubleshooting

Answer: A 500 Internal Server Error indicates that the request could not be completed due to an unexpected server-side or integration issue. Follow the steps below to identify and resolve the issue.

1. Verify the API endpoint

Confirm that the correct API URL is being used for the selected RChilli product and server region.

For Resume Parser:

• Parse resume using Base64 data:
  https://rest.rchilli.com/RChilliParser/Rchilli/parseResumeBinary
• Parse resume using a public URL:
  https://rest.rchilli.com/RChilliParser/Rchilli/parseResume

RChilli APIs use the POST method and require the following header:

Content-Type: application/json

2. Validate the request payload

Verify that all required parameters are present and correctly formatted.

For Resume Parser API, check:

• filedata or url
• filename (when using Base64 data)
• userkey
• version
• subuserid

Also verify that:

• File data is valid Base64.
• The file extension is supported.
• The JSON request format is valid.
• The subuserid does not contain unintended spaces.

3. Verify account and authentication details

Log in to RChilli My Account and confirm that:

• The User Key is valid.
• The SubUser ID and version are correct.
• Sufficient parsing credits are available.
• The subscription or API key has not expired.
• The Service URL matches the configured server region.

4. Test with a known working request

Test the API request using the RChilli Integration Demo, Postman, or cURL.

Use a small, supported resume file and the same credentials to determine whether the issue is related to:

• A specific document
• Request payload
• Application integration
• API service availability

5. Review the complete response and application logs

Capture the following information:

• HTTP status code
• Response body
• Request timestamp
• API endpoint
• Request headers
• Request payload with sensitive values masked
• Application or server logs

Also verify whether the response contains an RChilli error code. Request or document-related issues may return errors related to:

• Invalid request parameters
• Unsupported file format
• Corrupted content
• File conversion failure
• File size limitations

6. Check network and deployment conditions

Verify that network-related configurations are not blocking communication with RChilli endpoints, including:

• Firewall rules
• Proxy configuration
• SSL certificates
• DNS settings
• Recent deployment changes

For on-premises or Docker-based deployments, review server logs and confirm that required runtime libraries and dependencies are installed correctly.

These checks are generally not required for clients using RChilli cloud-hosted APIs.

7. Retry only when appropriate

If the error appears temporary, retry the request after a short interval. Avoid repeated immediate retries.

Applications should implement controlled retry logic with increasing delays where required.

Still not resolved?

Contact RChilli Support or raise a ticket at https://help.rchilli.com/.

Include the following details:

• User Key and SubUser ID
• Product name and API endpoint
• Request timestamp
• Sample request and response with sensitive information masked
• Sample file (when applicable)
• Application logs
• Whether the issue occurs for all files or only specific files

This information helps the RChilli team identify whether the issue is related to the API request, document processing, configuration, or service behavior.