Why does RapidAPI return a 401 unauthorized error when trying to fetch data?

[nina.k]

I’m attempting to retrieve some data from RapidAPI using Redux, but I’m facing a 401 unauthorized error in my console logs. The error shows GET https://coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com/coins/coins 401 (Unauthorized). I need assistance to identify what the issue could be.

Here’s my store setup:

import { configureStore } from "@reduxjs/toolkit";
import { cryptoApi } from "../services/cryptoApi";

export default configureStore({
    reducer: {
         [cryptoApi.reducerPath]: cryptoApi.reducer,
    },
});

API configuration:

import { createApi, fetchBaseQuery } from "@reduxjs/toolkit/query/react";

const headers = {
    'X-RapidAPI-Host': 'coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com',
    'X-RapidAPI-Key': 'your-api-key-here'
};

const baseUrl = 'https://coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com/coins';
const createRequest = (url) => ({ url, headers });

export const cryptoApi = createApi({
    reducerPath: "cryptoApi",
    baseQuery: fetchBaseQuery({ baseUrl }),
    endpoints: (builder) => ({
        getCryptocurrencies: builder.query({
            query: () => createRequest("/coins")
        })
    })
});

export const { useGetCryptocurrenciesQuery } = cryptoApi;

Using the data in a component:

import { useGetCryptocurrenciesQuery } from "../services/cryptoApi";

const { data, isLoading } = useGetCryptocurrenciesQuery();
console.log(data);

Can someone help me understand what I might be doing wrong with this configuration?

[mikechen]

Your placeholder API key is the problem. You’ve got ‘X-RapidAPI-Key’: ‘your-api-key-here’ - that won’t authenticate anything. Swap it for your real RapidAPI key from the dashboard.

Also check your endpoint URL. You’re setting baseUrl to include /coins, then adding /coins again in createRequest. That gives you https://coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com/coins/coins which is probably wrong. Either use https://coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com as your baseUrl and keep /coins in the query, or do it the other way around.

Might want to verify your RapidAPI subscription too - keys sometimes get suspended or you hit limits without knowing. I’ve seen APIs work fine in Postman but break in actual code because of header formatting issues or endpoint mismatches.

[emmat83]

you’re using a dummy api key - ‘your-api-key-here’ won’t work. also, that url structure looks wrong. you’re hitting /coins/coins which probably doesn’t exist. set baseUrl to just ‘https://coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com’ and see if that fixes it.

[coffeeAndCode]

The Problem:

You’re encountering a 401 (Unauthorized) error when trying to fetch data from the Coinranking RapidAPI using Redux Toolkit Query. This typically indicates an authentication problem with your API key or a configuration issue with your API request.

Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause):

A 401 Unauthorized error means the server doesn’t recognize your credentials. In this case, the server is rejecting your request because it’s unable to authenticate you using the provided API key. This often stems from several causes:

• Incorrect or Missing API Key: The most common cause. You’re likely using a placeholder key (your-api-key-here) instead of your actual RapidAPI key.
• API Key Rate Limits or Suspension: Your RapidAPI key might have hit its request limits or been temporarily suspended.
• Incorrect API Endpoint URL: Double-check that you’re targeting the correct API endpoint. Redundant path segments in your URL (e.g., /coins/coins when only /coins is needed) can lead to 401 errors or other issues.
• Header Issues: While less common, inconsistencies in how you’re sending the authentication headers (e.g., incorrect capitalization, extra spaces) can cause authentication failure.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Step 1: Verify and Replace Your API Key:

The most probable cause is an incorrect API key. Go to your RapidAPI dashboard, find your Coinranking API key, and replace "your-api-key-here" in your cryptoApi.js file with the actual key. Ensure there are no typos or extra spaces.

const headers = {
    'X-RapidAPI-Host': 'coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com',
    'X-RapidAPI-Key': 'YOUR_ACTUAL_RAPIDAPI_KEY' // <--- Replace this!
};

Step 2: Correct the API Endpoint URL:

Your current configuration uses /coins twice in the URL. This is likely incorrect. Simplify your endpoint configuration. Choose one of the following approaches:

• Option A (Recommended): Use the base URL as https://coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com and include /coins in your query.

const baseUrl = 'https://coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com'; // Corrected base URL
// ... rest of your cryptoApi configuration remains the same ...

• Option B: Keep the base URL as https://coinranking1.p.rapidapi.com/coins and remove the /coins from your query. However, Option A is generally cleaner.

Step 3: Check for API Key Limits and Status:

Log into your RapidAPI account and check the status of your API key. Make sure it hasn’t been suspended and hasn’t exceeded its usage limits for the day. Consider upgrading your plan if you consistently hit these limits.

Step 4: Test with Postman (Optional but Highly Recommended):

Before making further changes in your React app, use Postman (or a similar tool) to test your request directly. This helps isolate whether the issue is with your React/Redux setup or with the API itself. Create a new request, set the correct URL (using one of the options from Step 2), add your headers (including the correct API key), and send the request. Postman will clearly show any authentication or other errors.

Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:

• CORS Issues: If you’re testing locally, CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) might be interfering. Verify that your development environment allows requests to the Coinranking API domain.
• Header Case Sensitivity: Double-check that the header names (X-RapidAPI-Host, X-RapidAPI-Key) are precisely as the API expects; case sensitivity matters.
• Network Issues: Ensure your network connection is stable. Network problems can sometimes mimic authentication errors.

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!

[emmad]

401 errors usually come from authentication header problems that aren’t obvious. I’ve hit this when the RapidAPI host header doesn’t match exactly what the API wants - even tiny differences break authentication. Check if your API key actually has permissions for Coinranking specifically. RapidAPI keys need subscriptions to individual APIs, and free tier users often hit usage limits without knowing it. I’ve also seen CORS mess with authentication when testing from localhost. Some RapidAPI endpoints act differently in dev vs production. Test your headers and endpoint in Postman first - that’ll tell you if it’s your code or the API config. Your Redux setup looks good, so this is definitely an API authentication issue, not state management.