---
title: Map server error messages to custom error messages
description: Backend server error messages (for example, Java stack trace) can reveal internal information to hackers. API Security Enforcer (ASE) supports hiding the internal details and only sending a customized simple error message. The error message mappings are defined in /config/server_error.json file.
component: pingintelligence
version: 5.1
page_id: pingintelligence:api_security_enforcer:pingintelligence_map_server_error_to_custom_messages
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingintelligence/5.1/api_security_enforcer/pingintelligence_map_server_error_to_custom_messages.html
revdate: April 3, 2024
---

# Map server error messages to custom error messages

Backend server error messages (for example, Java stack trace) can reveal internal information to hackers. API Security Enforcer (ASE) supports hiding the internal details and only sending a customized simple error message. The error message mappings are defined in `/config/server_error.json` file.

![Diagram of ASE returning Client Error Message: 405 Unauthorized](../../5.2/_images/xpf1564009026966.png)

For each custom HTTP error code, specify all three parameters in `server_error.json`. For example, the snippet of `server_error.json` shows parameters for mapping error codes 500 and 503.

```json
{
 "server_error": [
 {
 "error_code" : "500",
 "error_def" : "Internal Server Error",
 "msg_body" : "Contact Your Administrator"
 },
 {
 "error_code" : "503",
 "error_def" : "Service Unavailable",
 "msg_body" : "Service Temporarily Unavailable"
 }
 ]
}
```

In the above example, an ASE which receives an error 500 or 503 message from the application replaces the message with a custom name `error_def` and message `msg_body` as defined in the `server_error.json` file.

To send the original error message from the backend server, do not include the associated error code in the `server_error.json` file. An empty `server_error.json` file as shown below will not translate any backend error messages.

```json
{
 "server_error": [
 ]
}
```

|   |                                                                                                                 |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | ASE checks for the presence of the `server_error.json` file. If this file is not available, ASE will not start. |