Use Batch API for work that can wait, not an interactive response
Prepare independent tasks with stable identifiers, track job status and recover partial failures without resubmitting successful items.
In brief
A batch API is designed for queued processing rather than a user waiting for one immediate answer. It can fit document classification or other independent jobs whose deadline permits delayed results.
Identifying each task lets you map results back correctly even if they are returned in a different order.
Choose work that tolerates waiting
Use it for independent records rather than a chat reply or a transaction needing immediate confirmation. Plan the deadline using the provider’s documented window, not an assumed instant finish. Check rate and batch limits before queuing a large collection.
Validate a small input first
Prepare the required format and identifiers with no secrets in the task data. Test a small representative set, including one invalid input you can recognize, before scaling. Retain a private mapping from task ID to source record so results are traceable.
Reconcile before retrying
Account for every submitted ID across success and error outputs. Do not assume a missing result means an empty answer. Inspect errors and retry only eligible failures; resubmitting the entire collection can duplicate charges and downstream work. Keep the original job reference for diagnosis.
Before you act
Supported endpoints, completion windows and prices are provider-specific. A submitted batch is not a completed job, and individual items can fail while others succeed.
What to do next
- Confirm the current supported endpoint, input format and completion window.
- Give every input a unique stable identifier and submit the validated job.
- Track its state, reconcile output and error files, then retry only appropriate failed items.
