Error Handling

Overview

Kalshi FIX API uses standard FIX error messages with additional detail in the Text field. Errors fall into two categories:

Session-level errors: Protocol violations, handled with Reject (35=3)
Business-level errors: Application logic issues, handled with BusinessMessageReject (35=j) or specific rejection messages

Error Message Types

Reject (35=3)

Used for session-level protocol violations.

Tag	Name	Description	Required
45	RefSeqNum	Sequence number of rejected message	Yes
58	Text	Human-readable error description	No
371	RefTagID	Tag that caused the rejection	No
372	RefMsgType	Message type being rejected	No
373	SessionRejectReason	Rejection reason code	No

Session Reject Reasons (373)

Code	Reason	Description
0	Invalid tag number	Unknown tag in message
1	Required tag missing	Mandatory field not present
2	Tag not defined for message	Tag not valid for this message type
3	Undefined tag	Tag number not in FIX specification
4	Tag without value	Empty tag value
5	Incorrect value	Invalid value for tag
6	Incorrect data format	Wrong data type
7	Decryption problem	Security issue
8	Signature problem	Authentication failure
9	CompID problem	SenderCompID/TargetCompID issue
10	SendingTime accuracy	Time outside acceptable window
11	Invalid MsgType	Unknown message type

BusinessMessageReject (35=j)

Used for application-level business logic errors.

Tag	Name	Description	Required
45	RefSeqNum	Sequence number of rejected message	Yes
58	Text	Human-readable error description	No
371	RefTagID	Tag that caused the rejection	No
372	RefMsgType	Message type being rejected	No
379	BusinessRejectRefID	Business ID from rejected message	No
380	BusinessRejectReason	Business rejection reason code	Yes

Business Reject Reasons (380)

Code	Reason	Description
0	Other	See Text field for details
1	Unknown ID	Referenced ID not found
2	Unknown Security	Invalid symbol
3	Unsupported Message Type	Message type not implemented
4	Application not available	System temporarily unavailable
5	Conditionally required field missing	Context-specific field missing

Order-Specific Rejections

Order Reject Reasons (103)

In ExecutionReport (35=8) with ExecType=Rejected:

Code	Reason	Common Causes
1	Unknown symbol	Invalid market ticker
2	Exchange closed	Outside trading hours
3	Order exceeds limit	Position or order size limit
4	Too late to enter	Market expired/closed
6	Duplicate order	ClOrdID already used
11	Unsupported order characteristic	Invalid order parameters
99	Other	See Text field

Cancel Reject Reasons (102)

In OrderCancelReject (35=9):

Code	Reason	Description
0	Too late to cancel	Order already filled
1	Unknown order	Order ID not found
99	Other	See Text field

Common Error Scenarios

Example 1: Invalid Tag

Scenario: Undefined tag in NewOrderSingle

// Sent
8=FIXT.1.1|35=D|11=123|38=10|333333=test|...

// Response: Reject
8=FIXT.1.1|35=3|45=5|58=Undefined tag received|371=333333|372=D|373=3|

Example 2: Business Logic Error

Scenario: Trading during maintenance

// Sent
8=FIXT.1.1|35=D|11=456|38=10|55=HIGHNY-23DEC31|...

// Response: BusinessMessageReject
8=FIXT.1.1|35=j|45=10|58=Kalshi exchange unavailable|372=D|380=4|

Example 3: Order Rejection

Scenario: Insufficient funds

// Response: ExecutionReport
8=FIXT.1.1|35=8|11=789|150=8|39=8|58=Insufficient funds|103=99|...

Error Handling Best Practices

1. Comprehensive Logging

def handle_message(msg):
    if msg.type == 'Reject':
        log.error(f"Session reject: {msg.Text} (Tag: {msg.RefTagID}, Reason: {msg.SessionRejectReason})")
    elif msg.type == 'BusinessMessageReject':
        log.error(f"Business reject: {msg.Text} (Reason: {msg.BusinessRejectReason})")
    elif msg.type == 'ExecutionReport' and msg.ExecType == 'Rejected':
        log.error(f"Order rejected: {msg.Text} (Reason: {msg.OrdRejReason})")

2. Retry Strategies

Error Type	Retry Strategy
Session errors	Fix protocol issue before retry
Rate limit	Exponential backoff
Exchange closed	Wait for market open
Insufficient funds	Check balance before retry
Unknown symbol	Verify symbol, don’t retry

3. Graceful Degradation

Identify Error Type

Distinguish between recoverable and non-recoverable errors

Apply Appropriate Action

Recoverable: Implement retry with backoff
Non-recoverable: Alert and halt

Monitor and Alert

Track error rates and patterns for system health

Specific Error Conditions

Authentication Errors

Symptom	Likely Cause	Resolution
Logon rejected	Invalid signature	Check RSA key and signature algorithm
CompID problem	Wrong API key	Verify SenderCompID matches API key
Time accuracy	Clock skew	Sync system time with NTP

Order Entry Errors

Error	Check	Action
Unknown symbol	Symbol format	Use exact ticker from market data
Order exceeds limit	Position limits	Query current position
Duplicate ClOrdID	ID generation	Ensure UUID uniqueness
Invalid price	Price range	Ensure 1-99 cents

Connection Errors

Connection errors often manifest as:

Heartbeat timeout
Sequence number gaps
Socket disconnection

Always implement reconnection logic with appropriate delays.

Error Response Patterns

Synchronous Errors

Immediate response to invalid request:

Request → Validation → Immediate Error Response

Asynchronous Errors

Delayed errors during processing:

Request → Initial Accept → Processing → Later Error Report

​Error Handling

​Overview

​Error Message Types

​Reject (35=3)

​Session Reject Reasons (373)

​BusinessMessageReject (35=j)

​Business Reject Reasons (380)

​Order-Specific Rejections

​Order Reject Reasons (103)

​Cancel Reject Reasons (102)

​Common Error Scenarios

​Example 1: Invalid Tag

​Example 2: Business Logic Error

​Example 3: Order Rejection

​Error Handling Best Practices

​1. Comprehensive Logging

​2. Retry Strategies

​3. Graceful Degradation

​Specific Error Conditions

​Authentication Errors

​Order Entry Errors

​Connection Errors

​Error Response Patterns

​Synchronous Errors

​Asynchronous Errors

Error Handling

Overview

Error Message Types

Reject (35=3)

Session Reject Reasons (373)

BusinessMessageReject (35=j)

Business Reject Reasons (380)

Order-Specific Rejections

Order Reject Reasons (103)

Cancel Reject Reasons (102)

Common Error Scenarios

Example 1: Invalid Tag

Example 2: Business Logic Error

Example 3: Order Rejection

Error Handling Best Practices

1. Comprehensive Logging

2. Retry Strategies

3. Graceful Degradation

Specific Error Conditions

Authentication Errors

Order Entry Errors

Connection Errors

Error Response Patterns

Synchronous Errors

Asynchronous Errors