gRPC 3 INVALID_ARGUMENT vs 5 NOT_FOUND
Both gRPC 3 (INVALID_ARGUMENT) and 5 (NOT_FOUND) belong to the gRPC Status Codes category. 3 indicates that the client specified an invalid argument. This indicates arguments that are problematic regardless of the state of the system. Meanwhile, 5 means that some requested entity was not found. For example, a file or directory that the RPC was supposed to operate on does not exist.
Description
The client specified an invalid argument. This indicates arguments that are problematic regardless of the state of the system.
When You See It
A request field failed validation — for example, a negative page size, a malformed email, or a required field left empty.
How to Fix
Inspect the request payload and fix the invalid field. Check the API documentation for expected formats and constraints.
Description
Some requested entity was not found. For example, a file or directory that the RPC was supposed to operate on does not exist.
When You See It
The resource referenced in the request doesn't exist — such as looking up a user by ID that has been deleted or never created.
How to Fix
Verify the resource identifier is correct. Ensure the resource was created before accessing it, or handle the not-found case gracefully in your client.
Key Differences
gRPC 3: The client specified an invalid argument. This indicates arguments that are problematic regardless of the state of the system.
gRPC 5: Some requested entity was not found. For example, a file or directory that the RPC was supposed to operate on does not exist.
You encounter 3 when a request field failed validation — for example, a negative page size, a malformed email, or a required field left empty.
You encounter 5 when the resource referenced in the request doesn't exist — such as looking up a user by ID that has been deleted or never created.
When to Use Which
For 3 (INVALID_ARGUMENT): Inspect the request payload and fix the invalid field. Check the API documentation for expected formats and constraints. For 5 (NOT_FOUND): Verify the resource identifier is correct. Ensure the resource was created before accessing it, or handle the not-found case gracefully in your client.