Zapier errors, explained one by one
Last verified
Zapier reports problems in three places. Zap history shows each run with a status (Successful, Errored, Safely halted, Filtered, On hold and others) and, when you open a run, the exact message from the step that failed. Email notifications tell you about errors and about Zaps that were turned off. And the editor shows messages when a Zap cannot be published or turned on.
The most important distinction is who produced the message. Messages that mention Zapier, such as "Throttled by Zapier" or "Zapier has blocked this task", come from Zapier's own limits. Messages that start with "The app returned" are the connected app's API answering, and the fix lives in that app: reconnect the account, correct the data, or wait out an outage. Validation messages such as "Required field ... is missing" are raised by Zapier before the app is called, usually because a mapped value was empty for that particular run.
Errors also have consequences beyond the single run. Zapier automatically turns off a Zap that errors on 95% of its runs once it has run more than 20 times in the past 7 days, which is why a burst of failures can end with "Task was stopped because its Zap was turned off". Safely halted runs and handled errors do not count toward that threshold. Each entry below gives the literal message, what it means, what is not wrong, and fixes you can test in Zap history. Volume limits are listed with the numbers Zapier publishes, which can change, so check the linked help article before relying on them.
Official reference: Zapier Help Center - How to troubleshoot errors in Zaps
How to read a Zapier error
Open Zap history, select the run, and read the step marked in red (errored) or yellow (halted):
Run status: Errored
Step 3 Mailchimp: Add/Update Subscriber
Required field "Subscriber Email" (email) is missing
^ field label ^ internal key
Step 4 HubSpot: Create Contact
The app returned "Property values were not valid".
^ prefix = error came from the app's API, not ZapierCompare Data In for the failed run with a successful one; the difference is usually the cause.
All 8 messages
Jump to: Zap and run status (4) · Errors from connected apps (2) · Rate and volume limits (2)
Zap and run status
| Message |
|---|
| Task was stopped because its Zap was turned off |
Zap turned off automatically due to errorsYour Zap was turned off |
| Your Zap could not be turned on |
Safely halted (Halted)Safely halted |
Errors from connected apps
| Message |
|---|
The app returned "..."The app returned "Internal Server Error". |
Required field "..." is missingRequired field "Subscriber Email" (email) is missing |
Rate and volume limits
| Message |
|---|
Throttled by Zapier / Zapier has blocked this taskThrottled by Zapier! Max ... runs per ... seconds. |
429 from Webhooks by Zapier and instant triggers429 Too Many Requests |
Definitions
Zapier guides, limits and tools
Other error directories
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- Make (formerly Integromat) errors9 messages
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- Selenium WebDriver errors14 messages
Frequently asked questions
Why did Zapier turn off my Zap?
Usually because it kept erroring. Zapier's help center says a Zap is turned off when it errors on 95% of runs and has run more than 20 times in the past 7 days. Team accounts get a 24-hour and Enterprise accounts a 72-hour grace period with an email warning. Editing a Zap or losing access to a paid feature can also turn it off.
Do halted runs count as errors?
No. Safely halted runs stopped on purpose, usually because a search found nothing, and Zapier states they do not count toward automatically turning off your Zap. Handled errors, where an error handler ran, also do not count. Only runs with the Errored status contribute to the turn-off threshold.
How do I tell a Zapier error from an app error?
Look at the wording. Messages that mention Zapier, such as "Throttled by Zapier", come from Zapier's own limits. Messages that begin "The app returned" are the connected app's API response, relayed by Zapier. Fixes for app errors are in the app: reconnecting, correcting data, or checking its status page.
Can I replay failed Zap runs?
Yes. Once the cause is fixed, select the errored, stopped or held runs in Zap history and replay them. Zapier stores trigger data for held runs so they are not lost. Some plans also offer autoreplay, which automatically retries failed runs on a schedule.
What are Zapier's webhook rate limits?
Zapier's Zap limits article says instant triggers return 429 errors above 20,000 requests every 5 minutes per user, and its webhook documentation adds 1,000 requests every 5 minutes per Zap for legacy URLs without a user ID. The sender receives the 429 and must retry. Limits change, so check the current help article.
What is flood protection in Zapier?
Flood protection holds runs when 100 or more events trigger a polling Zap at once, then emails you to confirm whether to process them. It protects against accidental bulk actions such as importing a large spreadsheet. On paid plans you can adjust the limit per Zap. Instant triggers generally bypass it.
How do I get notified about Zap errors?
Set error notifications in your Zapier settings so you receive an email when a Zap errors, either immediately or as a summary. Zapier Manager can also trigger a Zap when another Zap errors or is turned off, for example to post an alert to a chat channel.
Error handling you can see in the workflow
Autonoly workflows have per-node retries, timeouts, continue-on-fail and error-handler branches, so a failing step can be retried or routed instead of stopping the whole run. Saved workflows have no loop node; lists are worked through by the AI agent or one run per trigger item.