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DocumentationCore PackageAdvanced TopicsCircuit Breaker

Circuit Breaker

The Circuit Breaker pattern protects your application from cascading failures by automatically stopping requests to failing services. When a service is experiencing issues, the circuit breaker “opens” and immediately rejects requests, preventing resource exhaustion and allowing the service time to recover.

Overview

Circuit breakers operate in three states:

  • CLOSED: Normal operation, allowing all requests through while monitoring for failures
  • OPEN: Circuit is open, immediately rejecting requests without attempting execution
  • HALF_OPEN: Testing if service has recovered, allowing limited requests to probe recovery

State transitions occur automatically based on failure thresholds and timeouts, helping preserve system resources during backend outages.

CircuitBreakerOptions Configuration

CircuitBreakerOptions controls the thresholds and timeouts that determine when the circuit breaker transitions between states, and which exceptions should be ignored.

PropertyTypeDefaultDescription
failureThresholdint5Number of consecutive failures required to open the circuit. When the failure count reaches this threshold, the circuit transitions from Closed to Open state.
resetTimeoutDuration60 secondsDuration to wait before attempting to reset the circuit (transition to Half-Open). After the circuit opens, it waits for this duration before allowing a test request to check if the service has recovered.
successThresholdint1Number of consecutive successes required in Half-Open state to close the circuit. When the success count reaches this threshold while in Half-Open state, the circuit transitions back to Closed state.
ignoreExceptionsList<Type>[]List of exception types that should not trip the circuit breaker. When an exception of one of these types (or a subtype) is thrown, it will not be counted as a failure. Useful for client errors like 404 (not found) that shouldn’t cause the circuit to open.

Configuration Example

final options = CircuitBreakerOptions(
  failureThreshold: 5,              // Open after 5 consecutive failures
  resetTimeout: Duration(seconds: 60), // Wait 60s before testing recovery
  successThreshold: 1,               // Close after 1 success in half-open
  ignoreExceptions: [FormatException], // Don't count format errors as failures
);

Integration with QueryClient

Enable circuit breaker protection globally by providing a CircuitBreakerRegistry to the QueryClient constructor. All queries created through this client will automatically use circuit breaker protection.

final registry = CircuitBreakerRegistry();
final client = QueryClient(
  circuitBreakerRegistry: registry,
);
 
final query = client.getQuery<User>(
  'user'.toQueryKey(),
  () => api.fetchUser(),
);

[!IMPORTANT] If no CircuitBreakerRegistry is provided to QueryClient, circuit breaker functionality is disabled for all queries. Individual queries can still enable circuit breakers by providing circuitBreaker options in QueryOptions.

Per-Query Configuration

Configure circuit breaker behavior for individual queries using QueryOptions. This allows fine-grained control over which queries are protected and how they behave.

Basic Per-Query Configuration

QueryBuilder<User>(
  queryKey: 'user'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => api.fetchUser(),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreaker: CircuitBreakerOptions(
      failureThreshold: 3,              // More sensitive for this query
      resetTimeout: Duration(seconds: 30), // Faster recovery
    ),
  ),
  builder: (context, state) {
    // ...
  },
)

Custom Scope for Multiple Queries

Use circuitBreakerScope to group multiple queries under a single circuit breaker. This is useful when multiple queries hit the same service or endpoint.

// All queries with this scope share the same circuit breaker
QueryBuilder<List<User>>(
  queryKey: 'users'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => api.fetchUsers(),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreakerScope: 'api.example.com',
    circuitBreaker: CircuitBreakerOptions(
      failureThreshold: 5,
    ),
  ),
  builder: (context, state) {
    // ...
  },
)
 
// This query also uses the same circuit breaker
QueryBuilder<User>(
  queryKey: 'user-123'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => api.fetchUser(123),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreakerScope: 'api.example.com', // Same scope = same circuit
  ),
  builder: (context, state) {
    // ...
  },
)

[!NOTE] By default, circuit breakers are scoped to the query key. Use circuitBreakerScope to override this behavior and group queries by service, domain, or any other logical grouping.

CircuitBreakerOpenException

When a circuit breaker is in the OPEN state, requests are immediately rejected and a CircuitBreakerOpenException is thrown. This exception provides information about which circuit is open and why the request was rejected.

Exception Properties

PropertyTypeDescription
messageStringDescriptive message explaining why the exception was thrown
circuitScopeString?Optional scope or identifier of the circuit that is currently open. Useful for logging and debugging.

Handling CircuitBreakerOpenException

QueryBuilder<User>(
  queryKey: 'user'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => api.fetchUser(),
  builder: (context, state) {
    if (state.hasError) {
      if (state.error is CircuitBreakerOpenException) {
        final exception = state.error as CircuitBreakerOpenException;
        return Column(
          children: [
            Text('Service temporarily unavailable'),
            Text('Circuit: ${exception.circuitScope ?? "unknown"}'),
            ElevatedButton(
              onPressed: () => QueryClient().invalidateQuery('user'.toQueryKey()),
              child: Text('Retry'),
            ),
          ],
        );
      }
      return Text('Error: ${state.error}');
    }
 
    if (state.isLoading) return CircularProgressIndicator();
    return Text('User: ${state.data?.name}');
  },
)

Graceful Fallback

Future<User> fetchUserWithFallback() async {
  try {
    final query = QueryClient().getQuery<User>(
      'user'.toQueryKey(),
      () => api.fetchUser(),
    );
    return await query.fetch();
  } on CircuitBreakerOpenException catch (e) {
    // Circuit is open, use cached data or default
    final cached = QueryClient().getQueryData<User>('user'.toQueryKey());
    if (cached != null) {
      return cached;
    }
    // Return default or throw
    throw Exception('Service unavailable and no cached data');
  }
}

Circuit State Machine

The circuit breaker automatically transitions between states based on failure counts and timeouts:

CLOSED → OPEN → HALF_OPEN → CLOSED
  ↑                              ↓
  └──────────────────────────────┘

State Transitions

  1. CLOSED → OPEN: When failureThreshold consecutive failures occur, the circuit opens and immediately rejects all requests.

  2. OPEN → HALF_OPEN: After resetTimeout duration has elapsed, the circuit transitions to half-open state, allowing a test request to check if the service has recovered.

  3. HALF_OPEN → CLOSED: If successThreshold consecutive successes occur in half-open state, the circuit closes and normal operation resumes.

  4. HALF_OPEN → OPEN: If any failure occurs in half-open state, the circuit immediately opens again and the reset timeout restarts.

[!IMPORTANT] State transitions are automatic and based on the configured thresholds. You cannot manually control circuit states, but you can reset circuits through the CircuitBreakerRegistry if needed.

Code Examples

Global Configuration

Configure circuit breaker protection for all queries in your application:

void main() {
  final registry = CircuitBreakerRegistry();
  final client = QueryClient(
    circuitBreakerRegistry: registry,
  );
 
  runApp(
    QueryClientProvider(
      client: client,
      child: MyApp(),
    ),
  );
}

Per-Query Configuration

Configure circuit breaker behavior for a specific query:

QueryBuilder<List<Product>>(
  queryKey: 'products'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => api.fetchProducts(),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreaker: CircuitBreakerOptions(
      failureThreshold: 3,
      resetTimeout: Duration(seconds: 30),
      ignoreExceptions: [FormatException],
    ),
  ),
  builder: (context, state) {
    if (state.hasError) {
      if (state.error is CircuitBreakerOpenException) {
        return Text('Service temporarily unavailable');
      }
      return Text('Error: ${state.error}');
    }
 
    if (state.isLoading) return CircularProgressIndicator();
    return ListView.builder(
      itemCount: state.data?.length ?? 0,
      itemBuilder: (context, index) => ProductTile(state.data![index]),
    );
  },
)

Shared Circuit via Scope

Group multiple queries under a single circuit breaker:

// All queries to the same API share one circuit breaker
final apiScope = 'api.example.com';
 
QueryBuilder<List<User>>(
  queryKey: 'users'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => api.fetchUsers(),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreakerScope: apiScope,
    circuitBreaker: CircuitBreakerOptions(failureThreshold: 5),
  ),
  builder: (context, state) => UserList(state.data),
)
 
QueryBuilder<User>(
  queryKey: 'user-123'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => api.fetchUser(123),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreakerScope: apiScope, // Same circuit as above
  ),
  builder: (context, state) => UserDetail(state.data),
)

Manual Registry Management

For advanced use cases, you can manage circuit breakers manually:

final registry = CircuitBreakerRegistry();
 
// Register callback for circuit open events
registry.registerCircuitOpenCallback((event) {
  print('Circuit ${event.circuitId} opened at ${event.openedAt}');
  // Send to monitoring service, show user notification, etc.
});
 
// Get or create a circuit breaker
final options = CircuitBreakerOptions(failureThreshold: 5);
final breaker = registry.getOrCreate('api.example.com', options);
 
// Check circuit state
if (breaker.allowRequest()) {
  // Proceed with request
} else {
  // Circuit is open, handle accordingly
}
 
// Reset a circuit manually (useful for testing or manual recovery)
registry.reset('api.example.com');

Best Practices

Defending Against Third-Party API Failures

When integrating with external services, use circuit breakers to prevent hammering a failing service:

QueryBuilder<WeatherData>(
  queryKey: 'weather'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => weatherApi.getCurrentWeather(),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreakerScope: 'weather-api.example.com',
    circuitBreaker: CircuitBreakerOptions(
      failureThreshold: 3,              // Fail fast for external services
      resetTimeout: Duration(minutes: 2), // Give service time to recover
      successThreshold: 2,              // Require 2 successes to close
    ),
  ),
  builder: (context, state) {
    if (state.hasError && state.error is CircuitBreakerOpenException) {
      // Show cached data or a "service unavailable" message
      return CachedWeatherDisplay();
    }
    return WeatherDisplay(state.data);
  },
)

Ignoring Client Errors

Some errors (like 404 Not Found or 401 Unauthorized) are client errors and shouldn’t trip the circuit breaker:

QueryBuilder<User>(
  queryKey: 'user'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => api.fetchUser(),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreaker: CircuitBreakerOptions(
      failureThreshold: 5,
      ignoreExceptions: [
        FormatException,    // Invalid request format
        ArgumentError,     // Client-side errors
        // Add custom exception types as needed
      ],
    ),
  ),
  builder: (context, state) {
    // ...
  },
)

[!NOTE] The ignoreExceptions list uses type matching. If you add Exception to the list, all exceptions will be ignored. Be specific about which exception types should not trip the circuit.

Shared Circuits via Scope

Group queries by service or domain to share circuit breaker state:

// All queries to the payment service share one circuit
final paymentScope = 'payment-api.example.com';
 
QueryBuilder<PaymentMethod>(
  queryKey: 'payment-methods'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => paymentApi.getPaymentMethods(),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreakerScope: paymentScope,
    circuitBreaker: CircuitBreakerOptions(failureThreshold: 3),
  ),
  builder: (context, state) => PaymentMethodList(state.data),
)
 
QueryBuilder<PaymentResult>(
  queryKey: 'process-payment'.toQueryKey(),
  queryFn: () => paymentApi.processPayment(),
  options: QueryOptions(
    circuitBreakerScope: paymentScope, // Same circuit
  ),
  builder: (context, state) => PaymentResult(state.data),
)

Monitoring Circuit States

Register callbacks to monitor when circuits open:

final registry = CircuitBreakerRegistry();
 
registry.registerCircuitOpenCallback((event) {
  // Log to monitoring service
  analytics.track('circuit_opened', {
    'circuit_id': event.circuitId,
    'opened_at': event.openedAt.toIso8601String(),
  });
 
  // Show user notification
  showNotification('Service temporarily unavailable');
 
  // Alert operations team
  alertingService.sendAlert(
    'Circuit breaker opened for ${event.circuitId}',
  );
});

Troubleshooting

Circuit Opens Too Frequently

If your circuit breaker opens too often, consider:

  • Increase failureThreshold: Allow more failures before opening
  • Review ignoreExceptions: Add exception types that shouldn’t count as failures
  • Check for transient errors: Some errors might be temporary and shouldn’t trip the circuit
CircuitBreakerOptions(
  failureThreshold: 10, // More lenient
  ignoreExceptions: [TimeoutException], // Don't count timeouts
)

Circuit Never Recovers

If the circuit stays open, check:

  • resetTimeout too long: Reduce the timeout to test recovery sooner
  • Service still failing: The service might still be down; check service health
  • Success threshold too high: Reduce successThreshold to close faster
CircuitBreakerOptions(
  resetTimeout: Duration(seconds: 30), // Test recovery sooner
  successThreshold: 1, // Close after first success
)

Circuit Opens for Expected Errors

If the circuit opens for errors that shouldn’t count as failures:

  • Add to ignoreExceptions: Include exception types that are expected
  • Review error handling: Ensure client errors (4xx) are handled separately
CircuitBreakerOptions(
  ignoreExceptions: [
    FormatException,
    ArgumentError,
    // Add your custom exception types
  ],
)

Multiple Queries Not Sharing Circuit

If queries that should share a circuit don’t:

  • Check circuitBreakerScope: Ensure all queries use the same scope value
  • Verify registry: Make sure all queries use the same QueryClient with the same registry
// All must use the same scope string
options: QueryOptions(
  circuitBreakerScope: 'api.example.com', // Must match exactly
)
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