The Break Error Handler in Make.com offers a crucial solution for handling temporary API errors, particularly when working with services like Claude or OpenAI that may experience occasional downtime or overload. By implementing proper error handling, you can prevent costly scenario reruns and ensure your automation workflows remain resilient even when external services temporarily fail.
Understanding how to properly configure and implement the Break Error Handler is essential for building robust automation workflows that can handle temporary service disruptions gracefully.
In my comprehensive testing video, I explore the capabilities and limitations of Make.com’s Break Error Handler feature:
Setting Up the Break Error Handler
To implement the Break Error Handler, simply right-click on any module that makes external API calls and select “Add Error Handler.” You can then configure two key settings: the number of reattempts and the interval between attempts in minutes.
Critical Requirements
The most important requirement for the Break Error Handler to function properly is that your scenario must be enabled. You can either set it to run on a schedule or select “On Demand” scheduling, but the scenario must be activated for automatic retries to work.
Testing with Simulated Errors
To properly test the Break Error Handler, I created a Buildship project that simulates API responses with both successful (200) and error (529) status codes. This allowed for consistent testing of how the system handles temporary failures and retries.
Limitations with Complex Workflows
While the Break Error Handler works effectively in simple, linear workflows, it has significant limitations when used with iterators and aggregators. When an error occurs within an iterator, the system must restart the entire iteration process from the beginning, which can be problematic with unreliable APIs or complex workflows.
Best Practices
- Add Break Error Handlers to all external API calls, especially less reliable services
- Consider using alternative solutions like OpenRouter for more reliable API calls
- Test thoroughly with simulated errors before deploying in production
- Be cautious when implementing within iterator and aggregator structures
Alternative Solutions
For more complex cases where the Break Error Handler might not be sufficient, consider using external services like OpenRouter or creating separate Make.com scenarios with their own error handling logic. While these solutions are more complex, they may provide better reliability for critical workflows.
