> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.n8n.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.httprequest/common-issues.md).
# Common Issues
Here are some common errors and issues with the [HTTP Request node](/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.httprequest.md) and steps to resolve or troubleshoot them.
## Bad request - please check your parameters
This error displays when the node receives a 400 error indicating a bad request. This error most often occurs because:
* You're using an invalid name or value in a **Query Parameter**.
* You're passing array values in a **Query Parameter** but the array isn't formatted correctly. Try using the [**Array Format in Query Parameters**](/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.httprequest.md#array-format-in-query-parameters) option.
Review the API documentation for your service to format your query parameters.
## The resource you are requesting could not be found
This error displays when the endpoint **URL** you entered is invalid.
This may be due to a typo in the URL or a deprecated API. Refer to your service's API documentation to verify you have a valid endpoint.
## Connection refused (ECONNREFUSED)
This error displays when the node reaches a host on the network but the target port has no listener. The TCP connection is actively refused. It isn't a DNS failure, a timeout, or a firewall drop.
On self-hosted n8n, the most common cause is Docker networking. Inside the n8n container, `localhost` and `127.0.0.1` point at the container itself, not at the host machine. A request to `http://localhost:5000` from the node lands on the n8n container's port 5000, where nothing listens.
To resolve, address the target by a name the container can route to:
* **Target on the host machine, Docker Desktop (Mac or Windows)**: use `http://host.docker.internal:` in the **URL** field. Docker Desktop adds this hostname automatically.
* **Target on the host machine, Linux**: pass `--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway` to the container, or set `extra_hosts` in `docker-compose.yml`:
```yaml
services:
n8n:
image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
extra_hosts:
- "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"
```
The same fix is documented for the [MySQL node](/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.mysql/common-issues.md#cant-connect-to-a-local-mysql-server-when-using-docker).
* **Target in another container on the same Compose stack**: use the service name as the hostname, for example `http://my-api:5000`. Reference the container's internal port, not the published `ports:` mapping.
A separate cause appears on Node.js 17 and above, even outside Docker: `localhost` resolves to the IPv6 address `::1` before `127.0.0.1`. If the target binds only to `127.0.0.1`, the IPv6 attempt is refused and the fallback to IPv4 doesn't always succeed inside the HTTP Request node.
Use `http://127.0.0.1:` in the **URL** field instead of `localhost`.
To verify the fix before re-running the workflow, exec into the n8n container and try the URL with `wget`:
```sh
docker exec -it n8n wget -qO- http://host.docker.internal:5000/health
```
If `wget` from inside the container succeeds, the HTTP Request node succeeds too. If `wget` also returns "connection refused," the cause is the network or the target service, not n8n.
On n8n Cloud, workflows run on n8n's infrastructure. There's no `localhost` and no path to a service on your machine. Expose local-only targets through a tunnel and use the public URL in the HTTP Request node.
## JSON parameter need to be an valid JSON
This error displays when you've passed a parameter as JSON and it's not formatted as valid JSON.
To resolve, review the JSON you've entered for these issues:
* Test your JSON in a JSON checker or syntax parser to find errors like missing quotation marks, extra or missing commas, incorrectly formatted arrays, extra or missing square brackets or curly brackets, and so on.
* If you've used an **Expression** in the node, be sure you've wrapped the entire JSON in double curly brackets, for example:
```
{{
{
"myjson":
{
"name1": "value1",
"name2": "value2",
"array1":
["value1","value2"]
}
}
}}
```
## Forbidden - perhaps check your credentials
This error displays when the node receives a 403 error indicating authentication failed.
To resolve, review the selected credentials and make sure you can authenticate with them. You may need to:
* Update permissions or scopes so that your API key or account can perform the operation you've selected.
* Format your generic credential in a different way.
* Generate a new API key or token with the appropriate permissions or scopes.
## 429 - The service is receiving too many requests from you
This error displays when the node receives a [429 error](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Status/429) from the service that you're calling. This often means that you have hit the rate limits of that service. You can find out more on the [Handling API rate limits](/integrations/builtin/handle-rate-limits.md) page.
To resolve the error, you can use one of the built-in options of the HTTP request node:
### Batching
Use this option to send requests in batches and introduce a delay between them.
1. In the HTTP Request node, select **Add Option > Batching**.
2. Set **Items per Batch** to the number of input items to include in each request.
3. Set **Batch Interval (ms)** to introduce a delay between requests in milliseconds. For example, to send one request to an API per second, set **Batch Interval (ms)** to `1000`.
### Retry on Fail
Use this option to retry the node after a failed attempt.
1. In the HTTP Request node, go to **Settings** and enable **Retry on Fail**.
2. Set **Max Tries** to the maximum number of times n8n should retry the node.
3. Set **Wait Between Tries (ms)** to the desired delay in milliseconds between retries. For example, to wait one second before retrying the request again, set **Wait Between Tries (ms)** to `1000`.
---
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