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HTTP status: 401 · Title: “Authentication required”

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When it fires

The X-API-Key header is well formed, but it does not match any key the API knows about.

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Why it happens

  • The key was deleted (not just revoked; see API_KEY_REVOKED for that case).
  • A character was changed in transit or storage, for example a copy-paste that altered the value but kept its length.
  • Wrong environment: a kash_test_… key sent to production, or a kash_live_… key sent to staging. Each environment accepts only its own keys.

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How to fix

  • Compare the value you are sending with the key prefix shown in the Kash web app (Settings → API Keys).
  • If the prefix matches nothing in your account, the key has been deleted or was never yours. Issue a new one.
  • If the prefix matches and authentication still fails, contact ZeroID support with the prefix and the requestId from a recent failed call.
Repeated authentication failures from one source trigger a temporary lockout, answered with RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED. Fix the key before retrying.