---
title: "How do server SDKs handle a failure to connect with Statsig?"
description: "Troubleshooting reference for Statsig server SDK connection messages, including network errors, authentication failures, and configuration mismatches."
product: general
last_updated: 2025-09-18
token_estimate: 309
---
# How do server SDKs handle a failure to connect with Statsig?

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### Error initializing

In Server SDKs, you may see an error message indicating that initialization failed. Implement either:

1. [bootstrapValues and the rulesUpdatedCallback](https://docs.statsig.com/server/nodejsServerSDK#statsig-options), to provide the definition of your gates/experiments in case of a network failure, or
2. A Storage Adapter for a version of your gates/experiments locally (available in the PHP SDK, coming soon to others).

### Error syncing

Server SDKs poll for changes to the definitions of your gates, configs, and experiments every 10 seconds, and for changes to ID lists every 1 minute. If one of these requests fails, the SDK retries a few times and may output a warning. The SDK continues to operate using the last known definition of your project and usually resolves issues by the next network request. During a complete Statsig API outage, the SDK operates offline using the last known set of feature gate and experiment definitions while retrying connections in the background.