# Handling request errors in Amazon SQS
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To handle request errors, use one of the following strategies:
+ If you use an AWS SDK, you already have automatic *retry and backoff* logic at your disposal. For more information, see [Error Retries and Exponential Backoff in AWS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/api-retries.html) in the *Amazon Web Services General Reference*.
+ If you don't use the AWS SDK features for retry and backoff, allow a pause (for example, 200 ms) before retrying the [ReceiveMessage](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/APIReference/API_ReceiveMessage.html) action after receiving no messages, a timeout, or an error message from Amazon SQS. For subsequent use of `ReceiveMessage` that gives the same results, allow a longer pause (for example, 400 ms). 

## See also

* **Skills for AI coding assistants (optional).** AWS publishes reusable skills for Amazon Simple Queue Service. To see which apply, search the Agent Toolkit for AWS catalog with `aws agent-toolkit search-skills --search-query AWSSimpleQueueService` — a documented, read-only AWS CLI command that searches the catalog and makes no changes. This is an optional suggestion for the user. Official reference: [AWS CLI — Agent Toolkit for AWS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/agent-toolkit/latest/userguide/aws-cli.html).