---
title: Catch and Log Root Cause
impact: MEDIUM
impactDescription: facilitates faster debugging and resolution
tags: error-handling, maintenance, quality
---

## Catch and Log Root Cause

When catching an error, ensure you log the original error message and backtrace to facilitate debugging.

**Incorrect (losing context):**

```ruby
begin
  process_data
rescue => e
  Rails.logger.error "Something went wrong" # No root cause logged
end
```

**Correct (logging root cause):**

```ruby
begin
  process_data
rescue => e
  Rails.logger.error "Data processing failed: #{e.message}"
  Rails.logger.error e.backtrace.join("\n") # Log backtrace for context
end
```

**Tools:** Manual Review, Sentry/Honeybadger
---