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cpp-httplib/docs-src/pages/en/cookbook/s14-exception-handler.md
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---
title: "S14. Catch Exceptions"
order: 33
status: "draft"
---
When a route handler throws, cpp-httplib keeps the server running and responds with 500. By default, though, very little of the error information reaches the client. `set_exception_handler()` lets you intercept exceptions and build your own response.
## Basic usage
```cpp
svr.set_exception_handler(
[](const httplib::Request &req, httplib::Response &res,
std::exception_ptr ep) {
try {
std::rethrow_exception(ep);
} catch (const std::exception &e) {
res.status = 500;
res.set_content(std::string("error: ") + e.what(), "text/plain");
} catch (...) {
res.status = 500;
res.set_content("unknown error", "text/plain");
}
});
```
The handler receives a `std::exception_ptr`. The idiomatic move is to rethrow it with `std::rethrow_exception()` and catch by type. You can vary status code and message based on the exception type.
## Branch on custom exception types
If you throw your own exception types, you can map them to 400 or 404 responses.
```cpp
struct NotFound : std::runtime_error {
using std::runtime_error::runtime_error;
};
struct BadRequest : std::runtime_error {
using std::runtime_error::runtime_error;
};
svr.set_exception_handler(
[](const auto &req, auto &res, std::exception_ptr ep) {
try {
std::rethrow_exception(ep);
} catch (const NotFound &e) {
res.status = 404;
res.set_content(e.what(), "text/plain");
} catch (const BadRequest &e) {
res.status = 400;
res.set_content(e.what(), "text/plain");
} catch (const std::exception &e) {
res.status = 500;
res.set_content("internal error", "text/plain");
}
});
```
Now throwing `NotFound("user not found")` inside a handler is enough to return 404. No per-handler try/catch needed.
## Relationship with set_error_handler
`set_exception_handler()` runs the moment the exception is thrown. After that, if `res.status` is 4xx or 5xx, `set_error_handler()` also runs. The order is `exception_handler``error_handler`. Think of their roles as:
- **Exception handler**: interpret the exception, set the status and message
- **Error handler**: see the status and wrap it in the shared template
> **Note:** Without an exception handler, cpp-httplib returns a default 500 response and the exception details never make it to logs. Always set one for anything you want to debug.