How to Troubleshoot 401 Unauthorized Errors on API Calls

A 401 Unauthorized error indicates that your API request lacks valid authentication credentials. This guide walks you through the essential steps to identify and resolve this error quickly.

Prerequisites

• Access to your Afraz account with Administrator or Developer permissions.
• Your current API integration codebase or testing tool (e.g., Postman, cURL).

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Verify your API key prefix Ensure that the API key you are using begins with the correct environment prefix. Live keys must always start with sk_live_, while test keys begin with sk_test_.

2. Check the Authorization header format Confirm that your HTTP request includes the correct Authorization header format. It must follow the standard Bearer token structure exactly: Authorization: Bearer sk_live_your_key_here

3. Verify key expiration status Log in to your Afraz dashboard, navigate to Developer Settings, and check the status of your API key to ensure it has not expired or been manually revoked.

4. Regenerate your API token if necessary If you suspect the key has been compromised or remains invalid despite correct formatting, navigate to Developer Settings, revoke the old key, and generate a new token. Update your environment variables with the newly generated key.

Summary & Key Takeaways

Resolving 401 Unauthorized errors typically comes down to confirming the sk_live_ prefix, maintaining the proper Bearer <KEY> header syntax, and ensuring your active tokens have not expired or been revoked in your Developer Settings.