API call works in online testing tool but fails with SSL errors in local development environment

[TomDream42]

I’m fairly new to working with APIs and I’m facing a problem that’s quite frustrating. I’m attempting to use a flight search API from RapidAPI for a Python project. When I make the call directly in the RapidAPI browser, it functions smoothly, and I receive the expected results.

However, once I copy the code into my local development environment, I keep encountering SSL certificate errors. The main message indicates “certificate verify failed: unable to get local issuer certificate”.

Here’s the code I’m using:

import requests

api_url = "https://flightapi22.p.rapidapi.com/flights"

params = {
    "passengers": "2",
    "from": "JFK", 
    "to": "SFO",
    "departure": "2024-03-15",
    "return": "2024-03-22",
    "class": "business",
    "curr": "USD"
}

api_headers = {
    "X-RapidAPI-Key": "[HIDDEN]",
    "X-RapidAPI-Host": "flightapi22.p.rapidapi.com"
}

api_response = requests.get(api_url, headers=api_headers, params=params)
print(api_response.text)

The error traceback reveals that the SSL verification is failing during the connection process. I’m utilizing Anaconda and I’m curious if this issue is related to my local Python setup or network settings. Has anyone else faced this problem when transitioning from browser testing to local development?

[Luna23]

had the exact same issue with rapidapi a few months back. My firewall was intercepting SSL traffic and breaking the certificate validation. try running your code from a different network first - mobile hotspot works great for testing. if it works there, it’s definitely your local network screwing with the certificates.

[sofiag]

The Problem:

You’re encountering an “SSL certificate verify failed: unable to get local issuer certificate” error when making API calls using the requests library in your Python environment, specifically within an Anaconda distribution. The API call works correctly in the RapidAPI browser, indicating the problem is isolated to your local setup.

Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause):

This error typically arises because your local Python environment’s SSL certificate store is outdated or incomplete. While your web browser uses the system’s certificate store, Python often relies on a bundled certificate bundle that may not include the latest certificates required to verify the SSL certificate presented by the flightapi22.p.rapidapi.com server. Anaconda installations, in particular, are known for potentially having outdated certificate bundles.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Update the certifi package: The certifi package provides a widely trusted set of root certificates. Updating this package is often sufficient to resolve SSL certificate verification issues within your Python environment. Open your terminal or Anaconda Prompt and execute:

pip install --upgrade certifi

This command uses pip, Python’s package manager, to update the certifi package to its latest version. This ensures your requests library has access to the most current and comprehensive set of SSL certificates.

2. Restart your development environment: After installing the updated certifi package, it’s crucial to restart your Python development environment (like your Anaconda environment or Jupyter Notebook kernel). This ensures that the changes take effect.

3. Verify Certificate Location (Optional but Recommended): To confirm that the requests library is using the updated certificate bundle, you can run the following command in your Python interpreter:

import requests
print(requests.certs.where())

This will print the path to the certificate file being used by requests. The path should point to the location where the certifi package installed its certificates. If the path seems incorrect or points to an older location, there might be a more significant configuration problem.

4. Re-run your code: Once your environment is restarted, execute your flight search API code again. The error should be resolved, and the API call should succeed.

Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:

• Incorrect pip command: Double-check that you’ve run the pip install --upgrade certifi command correctly. Typos in the command are common. Ensure you are using the correct version of pip for your Anaconda environment.
• Network Issues: While less likely given that the API works in the RapidAPI browser, transient network connectivity problems can still interfere. Check for any network outages or temporary issues.
• Corporate Proxy/Firewall: If you’re behind a corporate network or firewall, they may be intercepting or interfering with SSL traffic. In this case, you may need to contact your network administrator for assistance.
• Outdated requests library: Although less probable after updating certifi, an outdated requests library itself could also have issues. Consider updating requests as well: pip install --upgrade requests.

Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help!

[marcoMingle]

SSL certificate issues pop up constantly when you move from browser testing to local environments. Your corporate network or local setup is blocking the certificate chain.

I used to waste hours on SSL debugging until I switched to automating API calls through Latenode. It handles SSL certificate verification automatically, so you skip these local environment headaches completely.

Now I set up the API call in Latenode first. It connects to RapidAPI without any SSL problems. Test your flight search API there, then either use it directly or have Latenode trigger your local Python script with the results.

Bonus: you can schedule API calls, add error handling, and chain multiple APIs together without dealing with certificates, network issues, or infrastructure problems.

Yeah, you could fix this locally by updating certificates or using verify=False, but why bother when you can automate the whole thing properly?

Latenode - Create AI Agents & Autonomous Workflows | No-Code &...

[Tom_89Paint]

SSL errors are indeed common in local development, particularly with the configuration of Python environments. This usually occurs because your local environment can’t verify the SSL certificate chain. I’ve encountered this issue too when using API calls in a Python project. A temporary solution is adding verify=False in your requests.get() call, but be cautious as this disables SSL verification. A more robust approach is to update your SSL certificates. If you have Anaconda, using conda update ca-certificates can resolve the problem. Additionally, it may help to update your requests library to the latest version, as outdated versions can cause these types of errors. Producing a reliable setup often requires ensuring that your certificate store is up to date.