401 vs 403 error
What is HTTP 401 Error and How to Fix it
Have you ever been stopped in your tracks by a "401 error" while trying to access a website, application, or API? This seemingly cryptic message, often accompanied by the term “401 Unauthorized” or “HTTP 401 error”. It’s a common yet frustrating issue that signals a problem with your credentials or authorization.
In this guide, we’ll break down the HTTP status 401 in simple terms, explore its root causes, make a small Flask server to simulate it and explore some tips on how to avoid it by correctly authenticating your requests.
What is HTTP 401 Error?
The HTTP 401 Unauthorized error is a status code 401 returned by the server when authentication fails. It means the server has received your request, but it refuses to authorize it.
What Does a 401 Error Response Look Like?
Here is an example of a typical 401 HTTP code response:
- HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized: The status code indicating failed authentication.
- WWW-Authenticate: Status 401 error request unauthorized biography on instagram.