> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://moonie.gitbook.io/mooniepay/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://moonie.gitbook.io/mooniepay/introduction/responses-format.md).

# Responses Format

All MooniePay API responses follow a single, consistent JSON structure — whether the request succeeds or fails. Understanding this format is essential to correctly parsing results and handling edge cases in your integration.

***

### Response Structure

Every response from the MooniePay API returns a JSON object with three top-level fields:

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Operation completed successfully.",
  "data": {}
}
```

| Field     | Type                      | Description                                                 |
| --------- | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| `success` | `boolean`                 | `true` if the HTTP status is `2xx`, `false` otherwise       |
| `message` | `string`                  | A human-readable summary of the result                      |
| `data`    | `object \| array \| null` | The response payload on success *(present only on success)* |
| `errors`  | `any \| null`             | Error details on failure *(present only on failure)*        |

> 💡 **Important:** The `data` key and the `errors` key are **mutually exclusive**. A successful response contains `data`. A failed response contains `errors`. You will never see both in the same response.

***

### Successful Response

When an operation completes successfully (HTTP `2xx`), the response includes `success: true` and a `data` field containing the result payload.

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Payment initialized successfully.",
  "data": {
    "id": "pay_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "status": "pending",
    "amount": 5000,
    "currency": "XAF",
    "created_at": "2024-06-10T12:00:00.000000Z"
  }
}
```

The structure of `data` varies per endpoint. Refer to each endpoint's documentation for its specific payload shape.

***

### Error Response

When an operation fails (HTTP `4xx` or `5xx`), the response includes `success: false` and an `errors` field in place of `data`. A `code` field is also included to help you programmatically identify the error type.

```json
{
  "success": false,
  "code": "AUTHENTICATION_HEADERS_REQUIRED",
  "message": "Missing authentication headers.",
  "errors": []
}
```

| Field     | Type                      | Description                                                          |
| --------- | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `success` | `boolean`                 | Always `false` for error responses                                   |
| `code`    | `string`                  | Machine-readable error code for programmatic handling                |
| `message` | `string`                  | Human-readable explanation of what went wrong                        |
| `errors`  | `array \| object \| null` | Additional error details, validation messages, or field-level issues |

***

### Validation Error Response

For requests that fail input validation, the `errors` field contains field-level details to help you pinpoint exactly what needs to be corrected:

```json
{
  "success": false,
  "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
  "message": "The given data was invalid.",
  "errors": {
    "amount": ["The amount field is required."],
    "currency": ["The currency field must be a valid ISO 4217 code."]
  }
}
```

***

### Response at a Glance

| Scenario               | `success` | `data` present | `errors` present | HTTP Status   |
| ---------------------- | --------- | -------------- | ---------------- | ------------- |
| Request succeeded      | `true`    | ✅              | ❌                | `2xx`         |
| Auth / signature error | `false`   | ❌              | ✅                | `401` / `403` |
| Validation error       | `false`   | ❌              | ✅ (field map)    | `422`         |
| Not found              | `false`   | ❌              | ✅                | `404`         |
| Server error           | `false`   | ❌              | ✅                | `500`         |

> ⚠️ Always check the `success` field first. Do not assume a `200 OK` response contains valid data without verifying `success: true`.


---

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