diff --git a/src/FetchRequestDetail.tsx b/src/FetchRequestDetail.tsx
index 560013b..b55ad77 100644
--- a/src/FetchRequestDetail.tsx
+++ b/src/FetchRequestDetail.tsx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import type {
   SSEEvent,
   ProgressMessage,
 } from "./features/fetch-requests";
-import { RETRY_MAX } from "./features/fetch-requests";
+import { RETRY_MAX, formatApiError } from "./features/fetch-requests";
 import { useConfig } from "../react-openapi";
 
 const statusColors: Record<FetchRequestStatus, "default" | "primary" | "warning" | "info" | "success" | "error"> = {
@@ -318,8 +318,8 @@ export default function FetchRequestDetail() {
     if (!id) return;
     try {
       await updateMutation.mutateAsync({ id, data: { status: "pending" } });
-    } catch {
-      // handled by react query
+    } catch (err: any) {
+      setFailNotif(formatApiError(err));
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/src/FetchRequests.tsx b/src/FetchRequests.tsx
index d63d204..d1f5c8c 100644
--- a/src/FetchRequests.tsx
+++ b/src/FetchRequests.tsx
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ import type {
   FileSource,
   EmailSource,
 } from "./features/fetch-requests";
-import { RETRY_MAX } from "./features/fetch-requests";
+import { RETRY_MAX, formatApiError } from "./features/fetch-requests";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useResourceByName, useConfig } from "../react-openapi";
 
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ export default function FetchRequests() {
       if (err?.response?.status === 409) {
         setSnackbar({ message: "Duplicate — same fingerprint already exists", severity: "error" });
       } else {
-        setSnackbar({ message: err?.response?.data?.detail || "Failed to create fetch request", severity: "error" });
+        setSnackbar({ message: formatApiError(err) || "Failed to create fetch request", severity: "error" });
       }
     }
   };
diff --git a/src/features/fetch-requests/fetch-requests.models.ts b/src/features/fetch-requests/fetch-requests.models.ts
index 1265b4a..ebe0399 100644
--- a/src/features/fetch-requests/fetch-requests.models.ts
+++ b/src/features/fetch-requests/fetch-requests.models.ts
@@ -113,4 +113,21 @@ export interface FetchRequestFilters {
   source_type?: "file" | "email";
 }
 
+export function formatApiError(err: any): string {
+  if (!err?.response) return err?.message || "Request failed";
+  const data = err.response.data;
+  const status = err.response.status;
+
+  if (status === 422 && Array.isArray(data?.detail)) {
+    return data.detail.map((d: any) => {
+      const field = d.loc?.filter((s: string) => s !== "body").pop() || "field";
+      if (d.type === "value_error.missing") return `Missing: ${field}`;
+      return `${field}: ${d.msg}`;
+    }).join("; ");
+  }
+
+  if (typeof data?.detail === "string") return data.detail;
+  return `Request failed (${status})`;
+}
+
 export const RETRY_MAX = 3;
diff --git a/src/features/fetch-requests/index.ts b/src/features/fetch-requests/index.ts
index 094ee8c..cd21072 100644
--- a/src/features/fetch-requests/index.ts
+++ b/src/features/fetch-requests/index.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export type {
   SSEEventStatus,
   ProgressMessage,
 } from "./fetch-requests.models";
-export { RETRY_MAX } from "./fetch-requests.models";
+export { RETRY_MAX, formatApiError } from "./fetch-requests.models";
 export {
   useFetchRequestsList,
   useFetchRequest,