Error Handling

Learn how to handle and return error messages when using the SiteMinder Exchange API, including expected formats, retry strategies, and response codes.

It is expected that your application has a robust error-handling process in place. An error response should contain a short description of the error to assist our Support teams in troubleshooting.

Error Responses using the <Errors> </Errors> tag will flag the reservation delivery from SMX to your endpoint as Failed.

Error Responses

HTTP Status should be 200 OK.

Invalid Hotel Code

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:soap-env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
    <SOAP-ENV:Body xmlns:soap-env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
        <OTA_HotelResNotifRS xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05" Version="1.0" TimeStamp="2025-08-01T09:30:47+08:00" EchoToken="abc123-unique">
          <Errors>
            <Error Type="6" Code="392">Hotel not found for HotelCode=XXXXXX</Error>
          </Errors>
        </OTA_HotelResNotifRS>
    </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Invalid Username or Password

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:soap-env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
    <SOAP-ENV:Body xmlns:soap-env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">       
       <OTA_HotelResNotifRS xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05" Version="1.0" TimeStamp="2025-08-01T09:30:47+08:00" EchoToken="abc123-unique">
          <Errors>
             <Error Type="6" Code="497">Invalid Username and/or Password</Error>
         </Errors>
       </OTA_HotelResNotifRS>
    </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Warning Responses

HTTP Status should be 200 OK.

Any other warning responses that are not application or server-level issues should be sent as Success + Warning to avoid reservation delivery failures.

Our Reservations API specifications will have non-mandatory fields/attributes that a Publisher might not send in the reservation XML if it's not supported by them. Publishers should always send the mandatory reservation fields. Review our Reservations to view the mandatory and non-mandatory attributes.

Required Information Not Present - Missing email address

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:soap-env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
    <SOAP-ENV:Body xmlns:soap-env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">       
       <OTA_HotelResNotifRS xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05" Version="1.0" TimeStamp="2025-08-01T09:30:47+08:00" EchoToken="abc123-unique">
			<Success/>
			<Warnings>
				<Warning Type="10" Code="321">Guest email address is required</Warning>
			</Warnings>
			<HotelReservations>
				<HotelReservation>
					<UniqueID ID="LH123456789"/>
					<ResGlobalInfo>
						<HotelReservationIDs>
							<HotelReservationID ResID_Type="10" ResID_Value="LH123456789"/>
						</HotelReservationIDs>
					</ResGlobalInfo>
				</HotelReservation>
			</HotelReservations>          
       </OTA_HotelResNotifRS>
    </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Required Information Not Present - Missing phone number

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:soap-env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
    <SOAP-ENV:Body xmlns:soap-env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">       
       <OTA_HotelResNotifRS xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05" Version="1.0" TimeStamp="2025-08-01T09:30:47+08:00" EchoToken="abc123-unique">
			<Success/>
			<Warnings>
				<Warning Type="10" Code="316">Phone number is required</Warning>
			</Warnings>
			<HotelReservations>
				<HotelReservation>
					<UniqueID ID="LH123456789"/>
					<ResGlobalInfo>
						<HotelReservationIDs>
							<HotelReservationID ResID_Type="10" ResID_Value="LH123456789"/>
						</HotelReservationIDs>
					</ResGlobalInfo>
				</HotelReservation>
			</HotelReservations>          
       </OTA_HotelResNotifRS>
    </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

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Recommended OTA Error Codes

SiteMinders recommends the following error codes to be used: Error Warning Types (EWT)and Error Codes (ERR)

SOAP Faults

Generally, OTA messages transmit "business logic" failures in the <Errors> element structure. However, a SOAP fault can be returned in case of an unexpected error caused by for example a SOAP message where the XML cannot be parsed. The SOAP Fault will identify the party at fault (CLIENT/SERVER).

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope
	xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
	<SOAP-ENV:Header/>
	<SOAP-ENV:Body>
		<SOAP-ENV:Fault>
			<faultcode>SOAP-ENV:Client</faultcode>
			<faultstring xml:lang="en">Authentication failed - Invalid username</faultstring>
		</SOAP-ENV:Fault>
	</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>