Notion API Token Request Fails with 401 Unauthorized

Other Questions Notion
1

Issue Description:

After receiving a temporary code, I tried exchanging it for an access token but encountered a 401 Unauthorized error. Below is an adjusted version of my code snippet:

async function retrieveToken(tempKey) {
    const clientIdentifier = 'your_client_identifier';
    const clientSecretKey = 'your_client_secret_key';
    
    const response = await executeRequest('https://api.notion.com/v1/oauth/token', {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
        body: JSON.stringify({ code: tempKey, grantType: 'authorization_code' })
    });
    
    return response;
}

What could be causing the error? For context, I’m using localhost as my redirect URL in the integration setup.

2

hey, maybe you missed the notion-version header. i had a 401 error too until i added it. also, check if the redirect url exactly matches in both your api settings and request. tiny typos can trip u up.

3

I have encountered a similar issue previously while working with OAuth and Notion’s API. In my experience, one of the common pitfalls was not providing all of the required parameters for the token exchange. I noticed that the code snippet contains only the code and grant type. In my case, including the client identifier and client secret in the request body as parameters was crucial. I also observed that using the correct field names and ensuring that they exactly match the expected names in the documentation helped resolve the error. Furthermore, when using localhost as the redirect URI, double-checking that it was correctly registered in the application setup often saved time after troubleshooting. It is worthwhile to check your integration settings for inconsistencies such as case sensitivity or slight typos in key names. These issues can lead to a 401 Unauthorized error even when all credentials might seem correctly provided.

4

I once dealt with a similar 401 Unauthorized situation and discovered that my mistake was a subtle parameter misnaming issue. I had used ‘grantType’ instead of the expected ‘grant_type’ as outlined in the API documentation. Moreover, I had initially overlooked verifying that the client identifier and secret were added both in the body and headers if specified. It turned out that even minor deviations, such as case differences or an omitted parameter, can lead to such errors. Carefully reviewing each parameter according to the documentation helped resolve my issue.

5

The error might also be caused by the omission of certain mandatory parameters beyond the client identifier and secret. I’ve faced similar issues in my projects where providing the full set of required fields, including the device information and redirect URI upon exchanging the temporary code, was critical. It is advisable to re-read the API documentation to ensure that all parameters, especially those that might appear to be optional, are correctly included and properly formatted in your request. Misalignment in parameter names or values could trigger authentication failures.

6

Encountering a similar issue, I discovered that the problem was not just with parameter naming but also with missing required fields. Even though client credentials were defined, they were not included in the request body. Moreover, the field names must match exactly what the API expects, such as using “grant_type” instead of an alternative naming. Also, ensure that the redirect_uri specified in your request exactly mirrors the one registered in your integration settings. Carefully reviewing and aligning all parameters with the official documentation proved to be the key to resolving the error.