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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →These examples target classic ASP.NET Web API 2 on ASP.NET 4.x, which uses the System.Web.Http stack—not ASP.NET Core. Microsoft documents the classic exception APIs in its Exception Handling in ASP.NET Web API guide; ASP.NET Core uses different error-handling APIs and middleware, as its error-handling documentation shows. First identify which framework your application targets, then choose handling based on whether the outcome is expected, which pipeline stage fails, and whether a response can still be sent.
Return expected outcomes instead of treating them as exceptions
A missing resource is usually an ordinary application outcome, not an unexpected failure. Return a meaningful HTTP result directly from an action that returns IHttpActionResult:
public IHttpActionResult GetProduct(int id)
{
var product = FindProduct(id);
if (product == null)
{
return NotFound();
}
return Ok(product);
}This communicates a 404 Not Found without relying on an exception for normal control flow. Choose the status that accurately describes the outcome so clients can respond appropriately.
What happens when a controller throws an uncaught exception?
In classic Web API, most uncaught exceptions are translated to HTTP 500 Internal Server Error by default. An action can deliberately throw HttpResponseException when it needs to return a particular HTTP response; it can contain a status code or an entire HttpResponseMessage. Microsoft describes both behaviors in Exception Handling in ASP.NET Web API.
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throw new HttpResponseException(HttpStatusCode.NotFound);Prefer an explicit action result for routine outcomes when that fits the action’s design. Use HttpResponseException when throwing an HTTP-specific response is appropriate to the code path. It is a special case: exception filters do not process it as an ordinary unhandled exception.
Choose a mechanism by where the exception occurs
Web API 2 offers action/controller exception filters and application-wide exception services. They are not interchangeable: filters have a narrower context, while the global services cover unhandled exceptions caught more broadly by Web API.
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| Mechanism | Best fit | Configuration | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
Explicit action result, such as NotFound() |
Expected outcome, such as a missing resource | Returned from the action | Use the status that describes the outcome; it does not handle unexpected exceptions. |
HttpResponseException |
An intentional HTTP response raised from code | Thrown where needed | It is not processed as an ordinary unhandled exception by exception filters. |
| Exception filter | Unhandled exceptions associated with an action or controller | Applied to an action or controller, or registered globally in the Web API filters collection | Does not cover every pipeline failure, including controller construction, message handlers, routing, or response serialization. |
IExceptionLogger |
Application-wide logging of unhandled exceptions caught by Web API | Registered as a Web API service; multiple loggers may be registered | Observes exceptions; it is not the service for customizing the response. |
IExceptionHandler |
Application-wide response customization for unhandled exceptions | Registered as a Web API service; there is one handler | Can customize a response only where Web API can still choose one. |
Use exception filters for action and controller policy
An exception filter is a practical choice when a rule applies to exceptions associated with a particular action or controller, or to controller actions generally. Derive from ExceptionFilterAttribute and override OnException. Microsoft’s documented example maps NotImplementedException to 501 Not Implemented.
public class NotImplementedExceptionFilter : ExceptionFilterAttribute
{
public override void OnException(HttpActionExecutedContext context)
{
if (context.Exception is NotImplementedException)
{
context.Response = context.Request.CreateErrorResponse(
HttpStatusCode.NotImplemented,
context.Exception.Message);
}
}
}Apply the filter as an attribute to an action or controller, or register it in the global Web API filters collection if the policy should apply to controller actions generally. Microsoft characterizes filters as “the easiest solution for processing the subset unhandled exceptions related to a specific action or controller” in Global Error Handling in ASP.NET Web API 2.
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Do not use MVC’s HandleErrorAttribute for Web API controller exceptions; Microsoft says it does not handle them. Also, a filter is not a substitute for global handling when failures can occur outside an action or controller.
Use global services for broader logging and response handling
For application-wide behavior, Web API 2 separates observing an exception from choosing an error response:
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IExceptionLogger: records unhandled exceptions caught by Web API. Multiple logger instances may be registered.IExceptionHandler: customizes the response when Web API can still select one. Only one handler is used.
Filters are limited to action/controller exceptions. The global services matter for failures such as controller construction, message handlers, routing, and response serialization that are outside a filter’s coverage. Register these services through Web API’s service configuration as described in Microsoft’s Global Error Handling in ASP.NET Web API 2 guide.
Keep the responsibilities distinct: logging records diagnostic information; handling shapes a response for the caller. Make both implementations resilient so an exception in custom logging or handling code does not escape and create another failure.
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Account for streamed responses and error-body safety
If an exception occurs after response headers or part of a response body have already been sent, the server cannot replace those bytes with a fresh error response. Web API may still log the exception, but it may have to abort the connection. This is why global response customization is conditional: it works only while a response can still be chosen.
For structured error content, Microsoft documents HttpError and the Request.CreateErrorResponse(...) helper. Keep the HTTP status meaningful and provide information that helps the caller understand or correct the request. In production, do not return stack traces, secrets, or internal implementation details to clients; keep detailed diagnostics in protected logs instead.
