# REL04-BP04 Make all responses idempotent
<a name="rel_prevent_interaction_failure_idempotent"></a>

 An idempotent service promises that each request is completed exactly once, such that making multiple identical requests has the same effect as making a single request. An idempotent service makes it easier for a client to implement retries without fear that a request will be erroneously processed multiple times. To do this, clients can issue API requests with an idempotency token—the same token is used whenever the request is repeated. An idempotent service API uses the token to return a response identical to the response that was returned the first time that the request was completed. 

 In a distributed system, it’s easy to perform an action at most once (client makes only one request), or at least once (keep requesting until client gets confirmation of success). But it’s hard to guarantee an action is idempotent, which means it’s performed *exactly* once, such that making multiple identical requests has the same effect as making a single request. Using idempotency tokens in APIs, services can receive a mutating request one or more times without creating duplicate records or side effects. 

 **Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** Medium 

## Implementation guidance
<a name="implementation-guidance"></a>
+  Make all responses idempotent. An idempotent service promises that each request is completed exactly once, such that making multiple identical requests has the same effect as making a single request. 
  +  Clients can issue API requests with an idempotency token—the same token is used whenever the request is repeated. An idempotent service API uses the token to return a response identical to the response that was returned the first time that the request was completed. 
    +  [Amazon EC2: Ensuring Idempotency](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/APIReference/Run_Instance_Idempotency.html) 

## Resources
<a name="resources"></a>

 **Related documents:** 
+  [Amazon EC2: Ensuring Idempotency](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/APIReference/Run_Instance_Idempotency.html) 
+  [The Amazon Builders' Library: Challenges with distributed systems](https://aws.amazon.com/builders-library/challenges-with-distributed-systems/) 
+  [The Amazon Builders' Library: Reliability, constant work, and a good cup of coffee](https://aws.amazon.com/builders-library/reliability-and-constant-work/) 

 **Related videos:** 
+  [AWS New York Summit 2019: Intro to Event-driven Architectures and Amazon EventBridge (MAD205)](https://youtu.be/tvELVa9D9qU) 
+  [AWS re:Invent 2018: Close Loops and Opening Minds: How to Take Control of Systems, Big and Small ARC337 (includes loose coupling, constant work, static stability)](https://youtu.be/O8xLxNje30M) 
+  [AWS re:Invent 2019: Moving to event-driven architectures (SVS308)](https://youtu.be/h46IquqjF3E)