Show MediaWiki API error messages

geocode/wikidata.py

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ class QueryError(Exception):
 
     def __init__(self, query: str, r: requests.Response):
         """Init."""
+        super().__init__(query, r)
         self.query = query
         self.r = r
 
@@ -39,12 +40,33 @@ class QueryError(Exception):
 class APIResponseError(Exception):
     """Custom exception for API errors with response text."""
 
-    def __init__(self, message: str, response: requests.Response):
+    def __init__(
+        self, message: str, response: requests.Response, detail: str | None = None
+    ):
         """Init."""
         super().__init__(message)
+        self.message = message
+        self.detail = detail or message
         self.response = response
 
 
+def mediawiki_error_message(
+    response: requests.Response, json_data: dict[str, typing.Any] | None = None
+) -> str:
+    """Extract the useful error message from a MediaWiki API response."""
+    if json_data and isinstance(json_data.get("error"), dict):
+        error = json_data["error"]
+        if isinstance(error.get("info"), str):
+            return typing.cast(str, error["info"])
+        if isinstance(error.get("code"), str):
+            return typing.cast(str, error["code"])
+
+    if response.text:
+        return response.text.strip()
+
+    return response.reason or f"HTTP {response.status_code}"
+
+
 @backoff.on_exception(
     backoff.expo,
     (RequestException, APIResponseError),
@@ -58,9 +80,18 @@ def api_call(params: dict[str, str | int]) -> dict[str, typing.Any]:
         r = requests.get(
             "https://www.wikidata.org/w/api.php", params=api_params, headers=headers
         )
-        return typing.cast(dict[str, typing.Any], r.json())
+        json_data = typing.cast(dict[str, typing.Any], r.json())
     except JSONDecodeError:
-        raise APIResponseError("Failed to decode JSON", r)
+        detail = mediawiki_error_message(r)
+        message = f"Wikidata API error (HTTP {r.status_code}): {detail}"
+        raise APIResponseError(message, r, detail)
+
+    if not r.ok or "error" in json_data:
+        detail = mediawiki_error_message(r, json_data)
+        message = f"Wikidata API error (HTTP {r.status_code}): {detail}"
+        raise APIResponseError(message, r, detail)
+
+    return json_data
 
 
 def get_entity(qid: str) -> dict[str, typing.Any] | None:

lookup.py

@@ -381,9 +381,26 @@ def index() -> str | Response:
     except (wikidata.QueryError, wikidata.APIResponseError) as e:
         r = e.r if isinstance(e, wikidata.QueryError) else e.response
         if r.status_code == 429:
-            extra = {"Retry-After": r.headers["Retry-After"]} if "Retry-After" in r.headers else {}
+            extra = (
-            return jsonify(error="Rate limited by Wikidata, please try again later"), 429, extra
+                {"Retry-After": r.headers["Retry-After"]}
-        return jsonify(error=f"Wikidata query failed (HTTP {r.status_code}), please try again later"), 503
+                if "Retry-After" in r.headers
+                else {}
+            )
+            error = (
+                e.detail
+                if isinstance(e, wikidata.APIResponseError)
+                else wikidata.mediawiki_error_message(r)
+            )
+            return jsonify(error=error), 429, extra
+        if isinstance(e, wikidata.APIResponseError):
+            return jsonify(error=e.message), 503
+        return (
+            jsonify(
+                error=f"Wikidata query failed (HTTP {r.status_code}), "
+                + "please try again later"
+            ),
+            503,
+        )
     except requests.exceptions.RequestException:
         return jsonify(error="Could not connect to Wikidata, please try again later"), 503
     result.pop("element", None)
@@ -457,6 +474,10 @@ def build_detail_page(lat: float, lon: float, needs_commons: bool = True) -> str
     except wikidata.QueryError as e:
         query, r = e.args
         return render_template("query_error.html", lat=lat, lon=lon, query=query, r=r)
+    except wikidata.APIResponseError as e:
+        return render_template(
+            "query_error.html", lat=lat, lon=lon, error=e.message, r=e.response
+        )
 
     element = reply["result"].pop("element", None)
     geojson = reply["result"].pop("geojson", None)

tests/test_wikidata_api.py

@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@ import pytest
 import pytest_mock
 import requests
 import responses
-from geocode.wikidata import APIResponseError, QueryError, api_call, wdqs
+from geocode.wikidata import (
+    APIResponseError,
+    QueryError,
+    api_call,
+    mediawiki_error_message,
+    wdqs,
+)
 
 max_tries = 5
 
@@ -53,6 +59,39 @@ def test_api_call_retries_on_connection_error(
     assert mocked_sleep.call_count == max_tries - 1
 
 
+@responses.activate
+def test_api_call_uses_mediawiki_error_message(
+    mocker: pytest_mock.plugin.MockerFixture,
+) -> None:
+    """Test MediaWiki API error messages are preserved."""
+    mocker.patch("time.sleep", return_value=None)
+    mocker.patch("geocode.mail.send_to_admin")
+
+    responses.add(
+        responses.GET,
+        "https://www.wikidata.org/w/api.php",
+        json={"error": {"code": "ratelimited", "info": "Too many requests"}},
+        status=429,
+        headers={"Retry-After": "10"},
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(APIResponseError) as exc_info:
+        api_call({"action": "wbgetentities", "ids": "Q42"})
+
+    assert exc_info.value.detail == "Too many requests"
+    assert str(exc_info.value) == "Wikidata API error (HTTP 429): Too many requests"
+
+
+def test_mediawiki_error_message_falls_back_to_response_text() -> None:
+    """Test plain-text MediaWiki API errors are preserved."""
+    response = requests.Response()
+    response.status_code = 429
+    response.reason = "Too Many Requests"
+    response._content = b"Please slow down"
+
+    assert mediawiki_error_message(response) == "Please slow down"
+
+
 def test_wdqs_retry(mocker: pytest_mock.plugin.MockerFixture) -> None:
     """Test retry for WDQS API calls."""
     # Patch 'time.sleep' to instantly return, effectively skipping the sleep