> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.oddswire.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to handle missing odds data in an API

> Technical guidance for handling odds API responses.

An odds response can contain useful prices and missing coverage at the same time. Inspect both before treating a market as complete.

## Partial results are meaningful

An application might receive home and away prices while the draw is unavailable. A list of prices alone does not tell the caller whether this is a two-outcome market or an incomplete three-outcome offer.

## Preserve the reason

A source can be uncollected, unavailable, stale, suspended, denied, or incompatible with a reviewed comparison. These states call for different decisions. Display missing coverage explicitly and withhold calculations that require a complete vector.

## Keep control reads separate

Read coverage and entitlement information before issuing a large data query. On the current contract, account/control reads and errors are free. A successfully delivered metered data page uses one credit, including an empty result. Follow the [credit and error rules](https://docs.oddswire.io/errors.md).

## Check your implementation

Exercise empty and partial responses, expired quotes, and suspended markets. Use the documented native identity fields and retain missing reasons through your own interface.

Read the [odds reference](https://docs.oddswire.io/reference/listOdds.md), [settlement guide](https://oddswire.io/guides/comparing-odds-safely), and [freshness article](https://docs.oddswire.io/odds-freshness.md).


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