RapidAPI key not being recognized in JavaScript fetch request

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1

I’m working with RapidAPI for the first time and running into an issue. I’m trying to fetch data from a movie quotes API using JavaScript but keep getting an error about missing API key even though I think I’ve included it properly.

Here’s my code:

async function loadQuotes() {
    await fetch("https://famous-quotes4.p.rapidapi.com/random?category=inspirational&count=5", {
        "method": "GET",
        "headers": {
            "X-RapidAPI-Host": "famous-quotes4.p.rapidapi.com",
            "X-RapidAPI-Key": "abc123def456ghi789jkl012mno345pqr678stu",
            "Content-Type": "application/json"
        }
    })
    .then(result => {
        console.log(result);
    })
    .catch(error => {
        console.log(error);
    });
}

The response I get shows status 200 but when I check the actual data, there’s an error message saying the API key is missing. I can see the key is there in my headers so I’m not sure what’s wrong. Has anyone else faced this problem before?

2

Had this exact issue when I started with RapidAPI six months ago. You’re using a placeholder key - that “abc123def456ghi789jkl012mno345pqr678stu” string is clearly a dummy. Your real key should be way longer with different characters. Go to your RapidAPI dashboard, find your API, and grab the actual key from there. Also check you’re subscribed to a plan (even the free one) - some APIs won’t work without an active subscription. Getting a 200 status with an error message is classic RapidAPI behavior when auth fails.

3

Double-check you’re calling the response correctly in your fetch. I faced the same issue—my API key was fine, but I wasn’t parsing the response properly. You’re logging the raw response object instead of the actual data. Consider adding response.json() to retrieve the content. Additionally, verify your endpoint URL; sometimes copying it from RapidAPI documentation can introduce unwanted characters. APIs can return a 200 status while hiding errors in the response body if the request format is slightly incorrect.

4

Check if you’re making the request from localhost or file:// - RapidAPI blocks those sometimes. Try deploying to a simple hosting service like Netlify or Vercel first. Also, that content-type header isn’t needed for GET requests and might be causing issues.