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Google Gemini API error

Gemini API 503 service_unavailable: what it means and how to fix it

Error message
503 service_unavailable

Retry? YesLast verified 2 documented fixes2 sources

What it means

The service is temporarily overloaded or down.

Causes

  • Temporary overload or outage

How to fix it

  1. Fix 1.

    Wait and retry with exponential backoff.

  2. Fix 2.

    The official SDKs retry transient errors automatically; for example the Python SDK retries up to four times with an initial delay of about 1 second and a maximum delay of 60 seconds.

More Gemini API errors

All 30 Gemini API errors

HTTP 503 at other providers

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FAQ

What does the Gemini API error "503 service_unavailable" mean?

The service is temporarily overloaded or down.

How do I fix Gemini API "503 service_unavailable"?

There are 2 documented fixes. Start with the first: Wait and retry with exponential backoff.

Should I retry Gemini API "503 service_unavailable"?

Yes. The official docs treat this error as retryable.

Which other AI APIs return HTTP 503?

Per their official error docs: Amazon Bedrock (503 ServiceUnavailableException), Azure OpenAI (503 Server Error), DeepSeek API (503 - Server Overloaded), Groq API (503 Service Unavailable), Mistral API (503 Service unavailable), OpenAI API (503 service_unavailable_error server_is_overloaded), OpenRouter (503 No available model provider meets your routing requirements; 503 provider_overloaded), Vertex AI (503 UNAVAILABLE).

Sources

Last verified against 2 sources: Gemini API's official docs and official SDK repositories.

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