Fix n8n HTTP Request 401 Unauthorized

A 401 Unauthorized usually means the server did not accept the credentials as sent. In n8n, a common source of confusion is whether the API expects Authorization: Bearer TOKEN, a custom header such as X-API-Key: TOKEN, Basic Auth, OAuth2, or something else.

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Which option should you use in n8n?

• Bearer Auth: use when the API explicitly documents Authorization: Bearer <token>. In n8n's Bearer credential field, paste the token itself rather than duplicating the word Bearer.
• Header Auth: use when the API expects a specific header such as X-API-Key or another vendor-defined header.
• Raw Authorization header: only use if the API documentation explicitly expects a raw value with no Bearer scheme.

Common 401 mistakes

1. The API expects Bearer TOKEN, but only the token was sent.
2. Bearer Auth is selected, but the token field already contains the word Bearer, causing a duplicated scheme.
3. The API expects X-API-Key, but the key was placed in Authorization.
4. The credential is expired, revoked, scoped for another resource, or belongs to a different environment.
5. The endpoint requires OAuth2 or another auth flow rather than a static API key.

401 vs 403

401 generally means authentication was not accepted. 403 generally means the server understood who you are but that identity is not allowed to perform the requested action. APIs differ, so always verify the provider's documentation and error body.

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