What does 401 mean?
A 401 Unauthorized error means the page needs you to sign in, or the sign-in details sent were missing or not accepted.
401 Unauthorized means the page or file is protected and the server did not get valid sign-in details. You may not be signed in, your session may have expired, or the password or key sent was wrong. Some sites show a pop-up asking for a username and password. Others send you to a sign-in page. A 401 is different from a 403: with a 401, signing in correctly may fix it.
Why it matters for your business: 401 errors are common on client portals and staging sites. They protect private pages, but they should never appear on public pages your customers need.
What to do if you see it
- Sign in again, then reload the page.
- If you were signed in, sign out, close the browser and sign in again to start a fresh session.
- If you see this on a public page of your own site, open a request in your client portal with the address so our team can check it.
Related articles
More in Glossary
Still need help?
Ask our team