OpenAI API error
OpenAI API 401 Incorrect API key provided: what it means and how to fix it
401 Incorrect API key providedRetry? Not statedLast verified 2 documented fixes1 source
What it means
The API key used in the request is not correct.
Causes
- A typo or an extra space in the API key
- An API key that belongs to a different organization or project
- An API key that has been deleted or deactivated
- An old, revoked API key cached locally
How to fix it
- Fix 1.
Clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again.
- Fix 2.
Check that the correct API key is in the request header, or generate a new key and replace the old one in your codebase.
More OpenAI API errors
All 23 OpenAI API errors400 invalid_request_error (Invalid service_tier argument)Retry? Not stated401 Invalid AuthenticationRetry? Not stated401 You must be a member of an organization to use the APIRetry? Not stated401 IP not authorizedRetry? Not stated403 Country, region, or territory not supportedRetry? Not stated429 credit_balance_exhaustedRetry? No429 Rate limit reached for requestsRetry? Yes429 rate_limit_error slow_downRetry? Yes
HTTP 401 at other providers
Compare 401 across providers401 authentication_errorRetry? Not statedAnthropic API401 UnauthorizedRetry? Not statedAzure OpenAI401 UnauthorizedRetry? Not statedCohere API401 - Authentication FailsRetry? Not statedDeepSeek API401 authenticationRetry? NoGemini API401 UnauthorizedRetry? Not statedGroq API401 UnauthorizedRetry? Not statedMistral API401 authenticationRetry? Not statedOpenRouter401 UNAUTHENTICATEDRetry? NoVertex AI401 UnauthorizedRetry? Not statedxAI API
FAQ
What does the OpenAI API error "401 Incorrect API key provided" mean?
The API key used in the request is not correct.
How do I fix OpenAI API "401 Incorrect API key provided"?
There are 2 documented fixes. Start with the first: Clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again.
Should I retry OpenAI API "401 Incorrect API key provided"?
Not stated. The official docs do not say whether this error is retryable.
Which other AI APIs return HTTP 401?
Per their official error docs: Anthropic API (401 authentication_error), Azure OpenAI (401 Unauthorized), Cohere API (401 Unauthorized), DeepSeek API (401 - Authentication Fails), Gemini API (401 authentication), Groq API (401 Unauthorized), Mistral API (401 Unauthorized), OpenRouter (401 authentication), Vertex AI (401 UNAUTHENTICATED), xAI API (401 Unauthorized).
Sources
Last verified against 1 source: OpenAI API's official docs and official SDK repositories.
- developers.openai.comhttps://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/error-codes
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