401 Unauthorized vs 403 Forbidden
Find the key differences between HTTP status codes 401 Unauthorized and 403 Forbidden with tabular comparison including when to use each in API development, with practical examples.
401 Unauthorized vs 403 Forbidden
In web development, ensuring access control is essential in safely and efficiently managing APIs. The meanings of 401 Unauthorized and 403 Forbidden are sometimes confused. Nonetheless, both codes have to do with restricted resources, but they serve different purposes. In this article, we will explain the codes and instruct you on which one to use.
401 Unauthorized?
The response is an HTTP error code for a request lacking valid authentication credentials from a client is referred to as the 401 Unauthorized status code. That being said, it means that before accessing the requested resource, it’s necessary for the server to authenticate itself to the client. If no credentials are provided or if wrong ones are given by the client, then what follows is a 401 status code.
When to Use 401 Unauthorized
Use 401 Unauthorized when:
No authentication details have been received yet from the client.
The authentication information supplied – username and password/token – is not valid/has expired.
There is no authorization header present in your requests like “Authorization.”
For instance, if an API demands Bearer token for access but this token has not been included in any request or is incorrect it will issue back a response having HTTP status code 401 Unauthorized (the most common case).
403 Forbidden?
The reason for using a 403 Forbidden status code is when the server recognizes the request, the client has been authenticated, but the client does not have permission to access the requested resource. It means that in this case, a client is known while a server intentionally turns down fulfilling the request because of inadequate privileges.
When to Use 403 Forbidden
Use 403 Forbidden when:
Authenticated clientele lack sufficient permissions to reach given resources.
Server denies resource access irrespective of client’s authentication state.
Client’s access to resources is prohibited by any form of an access control system.
For instance, an authorized user may try accessing an admin only page without having adequate role. Even if one gets logged in, the response will indicate 403 Forbidden if they do not have sufficient rights.
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