# Provider API change breaks contract: first 30 minutes checklist

Source: https://releasefailures.com/incidents/provider-api-change-breaks-contract/
Content version: 1.0.0
Verified on: 2026-10-21
Licence: CC BY 4.0

Definition: A third-party API changes a field or behaviour and the integration fails.
- [ ] FM-01 Check whether the failures began without a deploy of the own service, and compare the start time with the provider's changelog and deprecation notices.
- [ ] FM-02 Search logs for upstream responses with new status codes or bodies, such as 404 responses carrying explanation text.
- [ ] FM-03 Pause or drain queued jobs that call the failing upstream path so the queue stops growing.
- [ ] FM-04 Decide whether to repoint the request to the provider's new path or ship a workaround that performs the step the provider no longer performs.
- [ ] FM-05 If the own release changed a payload field type or token claim, decide between reverting the output and asking customers to change their validation.
- [ ] FM-06 Open a ticket with the provider's support and attach request and response samples from before and after the change.
- [ ] FM-07 Post a status update that names the affected integration path and the affected customer segment, such as custom domain users or strict type consumers.