diff --git a/app/apollo/resolvers/channel.js b/app/apollo/resolvers/channel.js
index a1f136240..131ecc0ec 100644
--- a/app/apollo/resolvers/channel.js
+++ b/app/apollo/resolvers/channel.js
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@
 const _ = require('lodash');
 const { v4: UUID } = require('uuid');
 const crypto = require('crypto');
+const { UserInputError, ValidationError } = require('apollo-server');
 
 const { ACTIONS, TYPES } = require('../models/const');
-const { whoIs, validAuth } = require ('./common');
+const { whoIs, validAuth, NotFoundError} = require ('./common');
 
 const { encryptOrgData, decryptOrgData} = require('../../utils/orgs');
 
@@ -65,18 +66,18 @@ const channelResolvers = {
 
         const channel = await models.Channel.findOne({ uuid: channel_uuid, org_id });
         if(!channel){
-          throw `Could not find the channel with uuid "${channel_uuid}"`;
+          throw new NotFoundError(`Could not find the channel with uuid ${channel_uuid}.`);
         }
 
         const versionObj = channel.versions.find(v => v.uuid === version_uuid);
         if (!versionObj) {
-          throw `versionObj "${version_uuid}" is not found for ${channel.name}:${channel.uuid}.`;
+          throw NotFoundError(`versionObj "${version_uuid}" is not found for ${channel.name}:${channel.uuid}`);
         }
 
         if (versionObj.location === 'mongo') {  
           const deployableVersionObj = await models.DeployableVersion.findOne({org_id, channel_id: channel_uuid, uuid: version_uuid });
           if (!deployableVersionObj) {
-            throw `DeployableVersion is not found for ${channel.name}:${channel.uuid}/${versionObj.name}:${versionObj.uuid}.`;
+            throw new NotFoundError(`DeployableVersion is not found for ${channel.name}:${channel.uuid}/${versionObj.name}:${versionObj.uuid}.`);
           }
           deployableVersionObj.content = await decryptOrgData(orgKey, deployableVersionObj.content);
           return deployableVersionObj;
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ const channelResolvers = {
       try{
         const channel = await models.Channel.findOne({ uuid, org_id });
         if(!channel){
-          throw `channel uuid "${uuid}" not found`;
+          throw new NotFoundError(`channel uuid "${uuid}" not found`);
         }
 
         await models.Channel.updateOne({ org_id, uuid }, { $set: { name } });
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ const channelResolvers = {
       const orgKey = _.first(org.orgKeys);
 
       if(!name){
-        throw 'A name was not included';
+        throw new UserInputError('A name was not included');
       }
       if(!type){
         throw 'A "type" of application/json or application/yaml must be included';
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ const channelResolvers = {
 
       const channel = await models.Channel.findOne({ uuid: channel_uuid, org_id });
       if(!channel){
-        throw `channel uuid "${channel_uuid}" not found`;
+        throw new NotFoundError(`channel uuid "${channel_uuid}" not found`);
       }
 
       const versions = await models.DeployableVersion.find({ org_id, channel_id: channel_uuid });
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ const channelResolvers = {
       });
 
       if(versionNameExists) {
-        throw `The version name ${name} already exists`;
+        throw new ValidationError(`The version name ${name} already exists`);
       }
 
       const iv = crypto.randomBytes(16);
@@ -253,14 +254,14 @@ const channelResolvers = {
       try{
         const channel = await models.Channel.findOne({ uuid, org_id });
         if(!channel){
-          throw `channel uuid "${uuid}" not found`;
+          throw new NotFoundError(`channel uuid "${uuid}" not found`);
         }
         const channel_uuid = channel.uuid;
 
         const subCount = await models.Subscription.count({ org_id, channel_uuid });
 
         if(subCount > 0){
-          throw `${subCount} subscriptions depend on this channel. Please update/remove them before removing this channel.`;
+          throw new ValidationError(`${subCount} subscriptions depend on this channel. Please update/remove them before removing this channel.`);
         }
 
         await models.Channel.deleteOne({ org_id, uuid });
diff --git a/app/apollo/resolvers/common.js b/app/apollo/resolvers/common.js
index 17e8a9131..8230edb6c 100644
--- a/app/apollo/resolvers/common.js
+++ b/app/apollo/resolvers/common.js
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */
-const { AuthenticationError } = require('apollo-server');
+const { ForbiddenError, ApolloError } = require('apollo-server');
+
 
 const whoIs = me => { 
   if (me === null || me === undefined) return 'null';
@@ -27,12 +28,20 @@ const whoIs = me => {
 const validAuth = async (me, org_id, action, type, queryName, context) => {
   const {req_id, models, logger} = context;
   if (me === null || !(await models.User.isAuthorized(me, org_id, action, type, null, context))) {
-    logger.error({req_id, me: whoIs(me), org_id, action, type}, `AuthenticationError - ${queryName}`);
-    throw new AuthenticationError(
+    logger.error({req_id, me: whoIs(me), org_id, action, type}, `ForbiddenError - ${queryName}`);
+    throw new ForbiddenError(
       `You are not allowed to ${action} on ${type} under organization ${org_id} for the query ${queryName}.`,
     );
   }
 }; 
 
-module.exports =  { whoIs, validAuth };
+// Not Found Error when look up db
+class NotFoundError extends ApolloError {
+  constructor(message) {
+    super(message, 'NOT_FOUND');
+    Object.defineProperty(this, 'name', { value: 'NotFoundError' });
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports =  { whoIs, validAuth, NotFoundError };
 
diff --git a/app/apollo/resolvers/subscription.js b/app/apollo/resolvers/subscription.js
index 0387828f8..5c0e59c40 100644
--- a/app/apollo/resolvers/subscription.js
+++ b/app/apollo/resolvers/subscription.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ const { v4: UUID } = require('uuid');
 const { pub } = require('../../utils/pubsub');
 
 const { ACTIONS, TYPES } = require('../models/const');
-const { whoIs, validAuth } = require ('./common');
+const { whoIs, validAuth, NotFoundError} = require ('./common');
 
 
 const resourceResolvers = {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ const resourceResolvers = {
         // loads the channel
         var channel = await models.Channel.findOne({ org_id, uuid: channel_uuid });
         if(!channel){
-          throw `channel uuid "${channel_uuid}" not found`;
+          throw new NotFoundError(`channel uuid "${channel_uuid}" not found`);
         }
 
         // loads the version
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ const resourceResolvers = {
           return (version.uuid == version_uuid);
         });
         if(!version){
-          throw `version uuid "${version_uuid}" not found`;
+          throw  new NotFoundError(`version uuid "${version_uuid}" not found`);
         }
 
         await models.Subscription.create({
@@ -118,13 +118,13 @@ const resourceResolvers = {
       try{
         var subscription = await models.Subscription.findOne({ org_id, uuid });
         if(!subscription){
-          throw `subscription { uuid: "${uuid}", org_id:${org_id} } not found`;
+          throw  new NotFoundError(`subscription { uuid: "${uuid}", org_id:${org_id} } not found`);
         }
 
         // loads the channel
         var channel = await models.Channel.findOne({ org_id, uuid: channel_uuid });
         if(!channel){
-          throw `channel uuid "${channel_uuid}" not found`;
+          throw  new NotFoundError(`channel uuid "${channel_uuid}" not found`);
         }
 
         // loads the version
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ const resourceResolvers = {
           return (version.uuid == version_uuid);
         });
         if(!version){
-          throw `version uuid "${version_uuid}" not found`;
+          throw  new NotFoundError(`version uuid "${version_uuid}" not found`);
         }
 
         var sets = {
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ const resourceResolvers = {
       try{
         var subscription = await models.Subscription.findOne({ org_id, uuid });
         if(!subscription){
-          throw `subscription uuid "${uuid}" not found`;
+          throw  new NotFoundError(`subscription uuid "${uuid}" not found`);
         }
         await subscription.deleteOne();