instantly-common-errors

---
name: instantly-common-errors
description: >-
  Diagnose Instantly API v2 authentication, scope, validation, quota, and resource errors without unsafe retries. Use when a request fails or returns an unfamiliar status or payload. Trigger with "debug Instantly 401", "fix Instantly 429", or "diagnose Instantly API error".
argument-hint: "[status-code] [operation]"
allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep, WebFetch, Write, Edit
version: 1.13.0
author: Jeremy Longshore <jeremy@intentsolutions.io>
license: MIT
tags:
- saas
- instantly
- common-errors
model: inherit
effort: high
compatibility: Designed for Claude Code; live verification requires network access and an approved Instantly workspace and API v2 key
---
# Instantly API Error Triage

## Overview

Turn an observed failure into a bounded diagnosis and a verified corrective action. Record assumptions, evidence, approval state, and rollback ownership so another operator can reproduce the result.

## Prerequisites

- The target repository, Instantly workspace, environment, and accountable owner
- Current security, privacy, compliance, capacity, and change-control requirements
- An approved API v2 key only when a bounded live verification is necessary

## Tool Discipline

Use `Read`, `Glob`, and `Grep` to inspect code, configuration, and evidence. Use `WebFetch` only for current first-party Instantly documentation and package metadata. Use `Write` or `Edit` only when implementation was requested and exact target files are known; never write credentials, lead data, email content, or unrestricted environment output.

## Current Contract

- 401 means missing, invalid, or revoked authorization; 403 means the key lacks a required scope.
- 429 is workspace-wide unless the endpoint publishes a stricter override.
- API errors expose statusCode, error, and message; do not infer success from a JSON body alone.

## Authentication

Use an API v2 key as `Authorization: Bearer <key>` against `https://api.instantly.ai/api/v2`. Grant only the endpoint-specific scopes needed, inject the key from an approved server-side secret manager, and never print, persist, commit, or place it in a URL. Treat key creation, rotation, revocation, member changes, workspace delegation, and production access as owner-approved actions.

## Instructions

1. Capture the method, route template, status, request ID, and redacted response shape.
2. Separate authentication, authorization, payment, validation, absence, conflict, and throttling failures.
3. Check the live endpoint reference and exact required scope.
4. Reproduce with a synthetic read-only request where possible.
5. Apply the smallest configuration or code correction.
6. Record evidence and stop before any destructive retry.

## Approval Boundaries

Do not create, rotate, reveal, or revoke keys; invite or remove members; delegate across workspaces; connect sending accounts; create or activate campaigns; import or delete leads; change suppression or retention; register, patch, resume, or delete webhooks; alter plans or paid capacity; transmit diagnostics; or perform another production mutation without explicit approval from the accountable owner. Keep diagnosis read-only unless implementation was requested.

## Output

Return the workspace-safe scope, files and contracts inspected, exact API v2 routes and required scopes, evidence collected, validation result, sensitive fields redacted, remaining risk, accountable owner, approval state, and rollback or next action.

## Error Handling

| Condition | Response |
|---|---|
| `401` | Stop and verify that the bearer key exists, is current, and was not revoked. |
| `403` | Stop and compare the operation with its exact required scope; do not broaden to `all:all` by default. |
| `429` | Coordinate the workspace-wide budget, honor endpoint overrides, and bound retries. |
| Schema or tenant mismatch | Fail closed, preserve redacted evidence, and do not retry a mutation. |

## Examples

Use a compact handoff that makes scope, mutation authority, and evidence reviewable.

Input:

```text
status=403; operation=campaigns.list; key=redacted
```

Expected handoff:

```text
cause=missing campaigns:read; action=create least-privilege replacement key after approval
```

## Resources

- [Skill-specific official documentation](references/official-docs.md)
- [Instantly API v2 documentation](https://developer.instantly.ai/)
- [Instantly API v2 OpenAPI document](https://api.instantly.ai/openapi/api_v2.json)

• SKILL.md 4 KB
• references/official-docs.md 3 KB