Workflow Reliability term
Recovery path: meaning, examples, and AI prompt use.
Defines what happens after a failure so the user can continue instead of getting stranded.
What it means
Plain meaning
failure recovery: Defines what happens after a failure so the user can continue instead of getting stranded.
Aliases
failure recovery, continue after failure, repair path
People say / experts say
People usually say
- api fails midway
- api failure
- api error
- gets stuck between steps
- cannot recover
- slow network
Experts usually say
Recovery path, Error taxonomy, Retry policy, Resumability
When to use it
Use it when
Your rough ask sounds like: api fails midway, api failure, api error. The term gives your coding agent a clearer problem shape.
When not to use it
Do not use this term as a request for a quick screen fix. Use it when the system needs explicit state, rules, failures, or recovery behavior.
Copy-ready handoff phrase
Before and after
Weak ask
Fix this api fails midway flow.
Exact Terms ask
For each failure mode, define what the user sees, what is retried, and how they can continue.
Prompt templates by use case
Architecture prompt
Audit this workflow for Recovery path and related concerns: Error taxonomy, Retry policy, Resumability. Return states, rules, failure modes, and recovery behavior before code.
Implementation prompt
Implement Recovery path for this app flow. Include data ownership, edge cases, fallback behavior, and acceptance tests.
Test prompt
Create tests that prove Recovery path works across refresh, retry, back/next movement, partial failure, and return visits.
Common mistake
What goes wrong
Asking for code before defining states, transitions, persistence, and failure behavior.
Better move
Use Recovery path with the related vocabulary trail: Error taxonomy, Retry policy, Resumability.