Error Recovery Strategies
Build resilient agentic systems that gracefully handle failures and recover intelligently
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0 / 5 completedIntelligent Retry Logic
Not all retries are created equal. The when and how of retrying determines whether you recover gracefully or amplify failures into cascading outages.
The Retry Golden Rules
✓Only retry transient errors — Don't retry permanent failures
✓Use exponential backoff — Give failing services time to recover
✓Add jitter — Prevent synchronized retry storms
✓Set maximum retry limits — Fail fast when recovery is unlikely
✓Make retries idempotent — Same request multiple times = same result
Three Retry Strategies
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Fixed Delay
Wait the same amount of time between each retry attempt.
Retry 1: wait 1s → Retry 2: wait 1s → Retry 3: wait 1s
⚠️ Problem: Can overwhelm recovering services with constant load
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Exponential Backoff
Double the wait time after each failed attempt.
Retry 1: wait 1s → Retry 2: wait 2s → Retry 3: wait 4s → Retry 4: wait 8s
✓ Better: Gives systems time to recover, but still predictable
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Exponential Backoff + Jitter (Recommended)
Exponential backoff with random variation to prevent synchronized retries.
Retry 1: wait 0.9s → Retry 2: wait 2.3s → Retry 3: wait 4.7s → Retry 4: wait 9.1s
✓ Best: Spreads retry load over time, prevents thundering herd
Interactive: Retry Strategy Simulator
Configure retry parameters and see how different strategies affect timing:
Strategy: Exponential
Double wait time after each failure. Gives systems time to recover, but predictable.
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Best Practice
Always implement a maximum retry limit (typically 3-5 attempts) and a maximum total wait time (e.g., 30 seconds). This prevents indefinite retry loops and ensures you fail fast when recovery is unlikely.