Laravel API, how to properly handle errors

Try this, i have used it in my project (app/Exceptions/Handler.php)

public function render($request, Exception $exception)
{
    if ($request->wantsJson()) {   //add Accept: application/json in request
        return $this->handleApiException($request, $exception);
    } else {
        $retval = parent::render($request, $exception);
    }

    return $retval;
}

Now Handle Api exception

private function handleApiException($request, Exception $exception)
{
    $exception = $this->prepareException($exception);

    if ($exception instanceof \Illuminate\Http\Exception\HttpResponseException) {
        $exception = $exception->getResponse();
    }

    if ($exception instanceof \Illuminate\Auth\AuthenticationException) {
        $exception = $this->unauthenticated($request, $exception);
    }

    if ($exception instanceof \Illuminate\Validation\ValidationException) {
        $exception = $this->convertValidationExceptionToResponse($exception, $request);
    }

    return $this->customApiResponse($exception);
}

After that custom Api handler response

private function customApiResponse($exception)
{
    if (method_exists($exception, 'getStatusCode')) {
        $statusCode = $exception->getStatusCode();
    } else {
        $statusCode = 500;
    }

    $response = [];

    switch ($statusCode) {
        case 401:
            $response['message'] = 'Unauthorized';
            break;
        case 403:
            $response['message'] = 'Forbidden';
            break;
        case 404:
            $response['message'] = 'Not Found';
            break;
        case 405:
            $response['message'] = 'Method Not Allowed';
            break;
        case 422:
            $response['message'] = $exception->original['message'];
            $response['errors'] = $exception->original['errors'];
            break;
        default:
            $response['message'] = ($statusCode == 500) ? 'Whoops, looks like something went wrong' : $exception->getMessage();
            break;
    }

    if (config('app.debug')) {
        $response['trace'] = $exception->getTrace();
        $response['code'] = $exception->getCode();
    }

    $response['status'] = $statusCode;

    return response()->json($response, $statusCode);
}

Always add Accept: application/json in your api or json request.