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Bugs & Features

Error: unknown response type from backend on business search

1. • Dan Frist
   • Topic created 2 years ago

   I get "Error: unknown response type from backend" only on a particular business name (mine, lol). I tried another business nearby and it works.
   
   Request:
   http://api.whitepages.com/find_business/1.0/?businessname=Frontier%20Label;house=319;street=Garlington%20Road;city=Greenville;state=SC;api_key=<MY API KEY>;outputtype=JSON
   
   Response:
   {
   "errors" : [
   "Error: unknown response type from backend"
   ],
   "listings" : [],
   "meta" : {
   "apiversion" : "1.0",
   "linkexpiration" : "2011-04-12",
   "searchlinks" : {
   "homepage" : {
   "linktext" : "Whitepages.com",
   "url" : "http://www.whitepages.com/16176/"
   },
   "self" : {
   "linktext" : "Link to this api call",
   "url" : "http://api.whitepages.com/find_business/1.0/?businessname=Frontier+Label;house=319;street=Garlington+Road;city=Greenville;state=SC;api_key=c128293c65ab6b8a7ec8fd6adccea33f;outputtype=JSON"
   }
   },
   "recordrange" : {
   "lastrecord" : "0",
   "firstrecord" : "0",
   "totalavailable" : 0
   },
   "searchid" : "03071392164679427390"
   },
   "result" : {
   "type" : "error",
   "code" : "Error",
   "message" : "A generic error has occured"
   }
   }

   Message edited by Dan Frist 2 years ago

2. Tim Miller – 2 years ago

   Hi Dan,
   
   This is happening because one of our backend services has begun sending a new result code which the API code didn't expect.
   With this code change, your search now returns this result:
   "result" : {
   "type" : "success",
   "code" : "No Data Found",
   "message" : "The search did not find results"
   }
   
   I will post another comment here as soon as this code change has been deployed (hopefully very soon!)
   
   Thanks,
   Tim

3. Mike Mondragon – 2 years ago

   Hi Dan
   A fix for the defect you discovered is being deployed Thursday afternoon (0414/2011) Pacific Coast Time. You should see the update after 4pm I would think, if not sooner.
   Thank you
   Mike

4. Dan Frist – 2 years ago

   Thanks for the quick reply Mike!
   
   I am still having a problem using the find_business api.
   
   Call:
   http://api.whitepages.com/find_business/1.0/?businessname=Frontier%20Label;house=319;street=Garlington%20Road;city=Greenville;state=SC;zip=29615;api_key=<KEY>;outputtype=JSON
   -- OR --
   http://api.whitepages.com/find_business/1.0/?businessname=Frontier%20Label;city=Greenville;state=SC;api_key=<KEY>;outputtype=JSON
   
   Result:
   {
   "result": {
   "code": "No Data Found",
   "type": "success",
   "message": "The search did not find results"
   },
   "meta": {
   "linkexpiration": "2011-05-04",
   "recordrange": {
   "lastrecord": "0",
   "totalavailable": 0,
   "firstrecord": "0"
   },
   "searchid": "21291330305552671821",
   "searchlinks": {
   "self": {
   "linktext": "Link to this api call",
   "url": "http://api.whitepages.com/find_business/1.0/?businessname=Frontier+Label;house=319;street=Garlington+Road;city=Greenville;state=SC;zip=29615;api_key=<KEY>;outputtype=JSON"
   },
   "homepage": {
   "linktext": "Whitepages.com",
   "url": "http://www.whitepages.com/16176/"
   }
   },
   "apiversion": "1.0"
   },
   "listings": [
   
   ]
   }
   
   Even though I can find my business on whitepages.com with that same info.
   http://www.whitepages.com/business?key=Frontier+Label&where=Greenville%2C+SC
   
   Thanks for the help.

5. Tim Miller – 2 years ago

   Hi Dan,
   
   Currently, the whitepages.com site has access
   to additional data sources, which are not exposed
   via the developer API, which is why your business
   appears on the website, but cannot be found via
   the API.
   
   We are currently doing work to expose more data
   sources via the API. In a few weeks, your business
   listing will be available from the developer API.
   
   Thanks,
   Tim