# Claude Message Batches: What to Do With Each Result State

> Source: <https://dev.to/poorna_reddy/claude-message-batches-what-to-do-with-each-result-state-ll2>
> Published: 2026-10-05 22:55:45+00:00

The Message Batches API processes independent Messages API requests asynchronously. Submitting a batch is easy. The design work is in what happens after the results come back, especially when some succeed and some do not.

Use a batch for independent work that can wait: evaluations, document classification, data analysis. Use an interactive request when a person or service needs the answer before it can continue. A batch can take up to 24 hours, so check the current limits in the documentation before building anything time sensitive.

Results can come back in a different order from the requests you sent. Give each request a `custom_id` taken from your own record, such as `ticket_8831`, and store the mapping before you submit. When results arrive, write each outcome next to its source record, with the prompt version, submission time and status.

| State | What it means | Next step | 
|---|---|---|
| `succeeded` | The model returned a message | Validate the message and its business meaning before any action | 
| `errored` | The request failed | Read the error. Fix invalid input; retry only errors that are eligible | 
| `canceled` | The batch was canceled | Check each request. A canceled batch can still contain completed results | 
| `expired` | The request was not sent before the batch expired | Decide which requests are still useful, then resubmit those | 

`succeeded` is the state people misread. It means a message exists, not that the message is right for the decision.

When a few records fail, the tempting fix is to resubmit everything. That can create duplicate tasks or overwrite decisions a person already made. Instead:

For refunds, notices, account changes or payments, separate the model's output from execution:

`approved_for_action` only after validation and any required review.
`custom_id` joins a result to its input. It does not make execution idempotent. That job belongs to the service that performs the action.

`custom_id` values.