> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kash.bot/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API_KEY_MISSING

> HTTP 401 — Authentication required

**HTTP status:** 401 · **Title:** "Authentication required"

## When it fires

A route that requires authentication received a request with no `X-API-Key` header.

## Why it happens

* The request was sent without the header (most common — first integration).
* A reverse proxy or HTTP client stripped the header.
* The wrong base URL — the documented endpoints live under `/v1/*`; some other route may not require auth.

## How to fix

```http theme={null}
GET /v1/portfolio HTTP/1.1
Host: api.kash.bot
X-API-Key: kash_live_<your-key-here>
```

* Pass the key on every authenticated request. Keys are issued via the webapp Settings → API Keys page or `kash-admin api-keys issue`.
* The plaintext is shown once at issuance. If you've lost it, revoke and re-issue.

## Related codes

* [`API_KEY_MALFORMED`](./API_KEY_MALFORMED.md) — header present but doesn't match the `kash_(live|test)_*` shape
* [`API_KEY_INVALID`](./API_KEY_INVALID.md) — header well-formed but no row matches