# Introducing APIs to Access and Manage Server-Level Responses on a Mock Server

Server errors make for a poor user experience, so it’s important to handle them correctly. While this is a common scenario, it’s hard to replicate while testing. To help address this, Postman now brings server-level response APIs accessible via the [Postman API](https://www.postman.com/postman/workspace/postman-public-workspace/documentation/12959542-c8142d51-e97c-46b6-bd77-52bb66712c9a "https://www.postman.com/postman/workspace/postman-public-workspace/documentation/12959542-c8142d51-e97c-46b6-bd77-52bb66712c9a") to you.

## A quick overview of server-level responses

Server-level responses are returned by a server when it fails to fulfill a valid request, and these failures are agnostic of application-level logic. Status codes that are returned by servers in such cases include 500, 503, etc. [These new APIs](https://www.postman.com/postman/workspace/postman-public-workspace/request/12959542-d4bab59b-8259-4012-93f1-9595001eeadc) now allow you to simulate the same behavior on a [mock server](https://learning.postman.com/docs/designing-and-developing-your-api/mocking-data/setting-up-mock/ "https://learning.postman.com/docs/designing-and-developing-your-api/mocking-data/setting-up-mock/"), and you don’t need to define 5xx errors individually for all paths exposed on your mock server. If you set one of the server-level responses as active, then all the calls to the mock server will be returned with that active server-level response.

## What can you accomplish using these APIs?

Let’s look at how you can replicate the unavailable server scenario using these APIs.

**Step 1: Create a server-level response on a mock server.**

![Create a server level response](https://blog.postman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-26-at-7.02.52-PM-300x142.png)

**Step 2: Set the server-level response as active.**

![Set server level response as active](https://blog.postman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-26-at-7.05.48-PM-300x142.png)

**Step 3: Make a request to the mock server.**

![Make a request to the mock server](https://blog.postman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-26-at-7.06.55-PM-300x61.png)

Want to know more? Check out the Postman Learning Center to dive deeper into [setting up a mock server](https://learning.postman.com/docs/postman/mock-servers/setting-up-mock/ "https://learning.postman.com/docs/postman/mock-servers/setting-up-mock/") or [viewing mock calls using the mock call log UI](https://learning.postman.com/docs/postman/mock-servers/setting-up-mock/#viewing-mock-calls "https://learning.postman.com/docs/postman/mock-servers/setting-up-mock/#viewing-mock-calls"). We also recommend that you stay tuned to the [Postman Public Roadmap](https://github.com/postmanlabs/postman-app-support/projects/45?fullscreen=true "https://github.com/postmanlabs/postman-app-support/projects/45?fullscreen=true") for developers because we’re constantly working to make Postman smarter, more aware, and more useful for you.

[**Try Postman now**](https://www.postman.com/downloads/ "https://www.postman.com/downloads/")