Separate accepted from completed
HTTP 202 means accepted for processing, without promising completion. The response’s operation handle and status method depend on the API. The following generic response fields are a synthetic contract, not a real provider endpoint.
| Response | Stored state | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| 202; operation_id=OP-8 | Accepted, pending | Save OP-8 before polling |
| OP-8 status=running | Still pending | Wait under polling budget |
| OP-8 status=failed; row=R3 | Failure with affected identity | Correct or review R3; preserve OP-8 |
Give status checks their own deadline
Choose a polling interval, deadline and owner before sending. A polling timeout means the final result is unknown; it is not proof the operation failed. If the status handle expires, use the target’s reconciliation route rather than automatically creating a new operation.
Polling ends after ten checks while the task remains running. What should the record say?
Show the worked answer
Unknown final outcome, last observed running, operation OP-8 and a follow-up owner. Do not mark complete or resubmit based only on the polling budget ending.