# Configure API call retries
URL: https://docs.awellhealth.com/docs/automate-with-events/configure-api-call-retries

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.awellhealth.com/llms.txt).





When a care flow makes a REST or GraphQL
[API call](/docs/connect-systems/the-api-call-action-graphql-and-rest) and the call is considered
unsuccessful, Awell retries it automatically using exponential backoff.

## The defaults [#the-defaults]

* a maximum of **5 attempts**
* an initial delay of **2 seconds**
* a maximum delay of **1 hour**

For many integrations these are fine. Change them when the system being called has its own rate
limits, or when a slow retry chain would leave a patient waiting.

## Care flow settings override organization settings [#care-flow-settings-override-organization-settings]

Retry behavior is set either for the whole organization or for one care flow.

> **Care flow settings take precedence over organization settings.** A care flow with its own
> configuration ignores the organization default, so an org-level change has no effect on it.

### For the whole organization [#for-the-whole-organization]

Organization settings are only available to **Admin** roles. Ask an admin on the team for access.

1. Open **Settings**, at the bottom of the left navigation.
2. Switch to the **Advanced** tab.
3. Toggle on **Customise default API call retry configuration** and adjust:
   * **Initial delay in ms** — the wait before the first retry
   * **Max delay in ms** — the ceiling on the gap between attempts
   * **Maximum amount of attempts** — after this, the call is resolved as failed

<img alt="The Advanced tab of organization settings, with the API call retry configuration switched on and the delay and attempt limits shown" src="__img0" />

The delays are entered in milliseconds, so the defaults appear as `2000` and `3600000` rather than
2 seconds and 1 hour.

### For one care flow [#for-one-care-flow]

1. Go to the **Design** space in the app switcher.
2. Select the care flow.
3. Switch to the **Settings** tab.
4. Select the **API Calls** menu on the left.
5. Toggle on **Use specific configuration**, then enable or disable automated retries and adjust the
   values.

## Turning retries off makes transient failures permanent [#turning-retries-off-makes-transient-failures-permanent]

With retries off, a single timeout or a brief outage at the other end fails the call for good. Prefer
fewer attempts over none.

## Next steps [#next-steps]

**Next:** [React to Healthie events](/docs/automate-with-events/react-to-healthie-events) for a worked
example of a listener.