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Error codes

authentication_required

Authentication required. The request carried no Authorization header, or the header was not of the form Bearer <key>.

What it means

The API returns HTTP 401 with error.code set to authentication_required. The default message is: "Send your API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header."

Common causes

• No Authorization header.
• A scheme other than Bearer.
• An empty token.

How to identify it

Check the response status (401) and error.code (authentication_required). Branch on error.code, not on the message text: messages can be reworded, codes do not change within v1. Log error.request_id (also sent as the X-Request-Id header) so support can find the request.

How to fix it

• Send Authorization: Bearer rai_test_... (test mode) or Authorization: Bearer rai_live_... (live mode).

Retry guidance

Sending the request unchanged fails the same way. Fix the cause first (see How to fix it), then send it again.

Did anything happen?

This request was refused before any call was placed and before anything was charged.

Idempotency

Nothing was done and nothing was stored (under an Idempotency-Key, if you sent one), so the request can be sent again, with the same key if you used one, once the cause is fixed.

Who can fix it

The developer who sends the request can fix it; no administrator action is normally needed.

When to contact support

If the error persists after the steps above, contact support@relationsai.com. See Support for what to include (the request_id, the time in UTC, the operation, and whether you used a test or live key) and what never to send (API keys, Authorization headers, webhook signing secrets, recording links, transcripts or customer data).

Example error response

JSON
{
  "error": {
    "code": "authentication_required",
    "message": "Send your API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header.",
    "details": {},
    "request_id": "req_stwgrknsunh4rsqs7632uj2u",
    "retry": "no",
    "doc_url": "https://docs.relationsai.com/errors/authentication_required"
  }
}

Incorrect and corrected request

Incorrect: The key was sent without the Bearer scheme.

Text
GET /v1/workspace
Authorization: rai_test_YOUR_TEST_KEY

Corrected: The key as a Bearer token.

Text
GET /v1/workspace
Authorization: Bearer rai_test_YOUR_TEST_KEY

See all codes in the error-code reference.