# Greenhouse 404 "job not found" when the agent reads a req that was deleted overnight

## TL;DR

The req was deleted overnight and the agent's sync still references it. Treat 404 on a job as a signal, not an error: mark the local copy deleted, stop syncing it, and alert if the deletion was unexpected. Jobs vanish; syncs must handle it.

```text
404 Not Found: "job not found" (Greenhouse Harvest API, job deleted overnight)
```

## Steps

1. Confirm the deletion: check the Greenhouse UI or audit log for the job ID.
   Expected: The job is gone, deleted at a known time.

2. Mark your local copy deleted instead of retrying: a 404 on a job is a fact, not a transient.
   Expected: The sync stops hammering a dead ID.

3. Check whether the deletion was expected (req filled or cancelled) or a surprise.
   Expected: You know whether to alert.

4. If unexpected, find who deleted it and whether candidates need rerouting to a replacement req.
   Expected: The fallout is handled.

5. Add 404 handling to the sync: on job 404, tombstone locally and notify, never retry.
   Expected: Future deletions are handled gracefully.

## When to use

- Greenhouse returns 404 "job not found"
- the job existed recently
- the agent syncs job data

## When not to use

- the job ID was always wrong (a typo, not a deletion)
- the 404 is on a candidate, not a job (different endpoint, different meaning)
- the job is archived, not deleted (archived jobs have their own status)

## Tool compatibility

- Greenhouse Harvest API
- job sync workflows

## Variant phrasings

- "greenhouse 404 job not found"
- "job deleted overnight greenhouse"
- "greenhouse job not found sync"

## Why it happens

Reqs get deleted when roles are cancelled or merged, often overnight by an admin cleaning up. The agent's sync list goes stale, and the first sign is a 404. Retrying a deleted job is pointless; the correct response is to accept the deletion and update local state.

## Edge cases

- distinguish deleted from archived; they need different local handling
- the audit log shows who deleted it; that context decides whether to alert
- tombstones need their own retention policy

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_nOtkSXLnpf3wjzTqI_XCHw