When visitors encounter an unexpected error on your website, it’s a direct obstacle to your business goals. Consequently, businesses that want to maintain an effective online presence must understand how to handle basic error messages like the 401 Unauthorized error, even if they don’t have an internal engineering team.
When it occurs, the 401 Unauthorized error often confuses, yet it tells a clear story about authentication. This guide will clarify what a 401 means, explain its causes, describe how to prevent it, and detail the steps to take when you see this error.
What the 401 Unauthorized Error Means
Every time your web browser asks for a page or file from a website, the server responds with a specific code. These codes tell your browser the status of your request. Codes starting with ‘4’ (like 401 and 404) mean the problem is typically on the user’s side or with the request itself.
Specifically, a 401 Unauthorized error means the website’s server needs login details before it can give you access to what you asked for. These details were either not given at all or were not correct. The server then tells your browser what kind of login it needs.
6 Reasons Your Website Might Be Showing a 401 Unauthorized Error
While a 401 Unauthorized error is a needed security measure, mistakes in how your website is set up can cause it to pop up unexpectedly, locking out genuine users. Here are common reasons this happens:
1. Wrong Login Details
This is the simplest reason. Someone trying to get into a password-protected part of your website (like a customer account area or an admin panel) simply typed the wrong username or password. This can happen from typos, forgetting details, or using old login information.
2. Old or Bad Login Sessions
Many websites use temporary files called “sessions” or “tokens” to keep users logged in without re-entering details for every click.
If these sessions expire, get damaged, or are cancelled (perhaps after a server restart or security checks), your browser might try to access a protected area without valid login information, causing a 401 Unauthorized error.
3. Mistakes in Website Settings for Basic Access
For websites that use basic server-level password protection (often involving .htaccess files), errors in these settings can lead to problems. This could be incorrect paths to user password files or simple coding errors, making it impossible for real users to get in.
4. Issues in Your Website’s Login System
If your website has custom login forms, member areas, or e-commerce features, bugs in the code that handle user logins can lead to 401 errors. This means the system might not be checking user details against the database correctly.
5. Security Software Being Too Strict
If your website uses security software (like plugins for WordPress), these tools are powerful for protection. However, if they are set up too aggressively, they can sometimes block legitimate login attempts or restrict access to parts of your site that should be public, leading to a 401 Unauthorized error.
6. Problems with Connecting to Other Services (APIs)
Many modern websites connect to other services online (like payment systems or social media feeds) using what are called APIs. If the secret keys or tokens used to make these connections are missing, wrong, or expired, the connection will fail with a 401, possibly breaking a feature on your website.
How to Prevent 401 Errors
Taking steps to prevent common website errors is always better than fixing them after they appear. This is especially true for keeping your website reliable and secure.
Here’s how businesses in Nigeria can help avoid those puzzling 401 Unauthorized errors:
- Make Login Easy and Clear: Ensure your website’s login processes are straightforward. This includes clear instructions, easy ways to reset forgotten passwords, and rules for strong passwords.
- Handle User Sessions Correctly: Your website’s login system should manage user sessions well. Regular updates to your website platform typically include improvements here. Setting appropriate session timeouts helps keep users logged in for a good amount of time without compromising security. This is a task often handled best through professional, ongoing website maintenance.
- Get Website Settings Right: If your site uses server-level password protection, make sure these settings are free of errors. This often means working with your website’s core files, which is where expert help from Edens Digital can prevent missteps that lead to a 401 Unauthorized error.
- Be Careful with Website Add-ons: Regularly review any security, membership, or login-related add-ons or plugins on your website. Make sure they are updated and set up properly to avoid conflicts that could cause access issues.
- Manage Connections to Other Services Securely: If your site connects to other online services, handle the keys and tokens for these connections with care. They should be stored securely and only used by the necessary parts of your website. This is part of maintaining your website’s overall security.
What to Do When You See a 401 Unauthorized Error
Seeing a 401 Unauthorized error can be confusing, but don’t worry. You don’t need an engineering team to get started on fixing it. A clear plan can help find and solve the problem.
If you, or a customer, encounter a 401 error:
- Check Login Details: The simplest step. Make sure the username and password are typed correctly, paying attention to capital letters.
- Clear Browser Data: Sometimes, old browser data or temporary login information can cause issues. Clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then try accessing the page again.
- Try a Different Browser or Private Mode: This helps to see if the problem is specific to your web browser or any add-ons you might have installed.
If you’re the business owner and your customers are reporting a 401 Unauthorized error, or you see it yourself:
- Try to Make the Error Happen Again: Can you consistently get the 401 error, or does it happen only sometimes? Does it affect everyone, or just certain users? Knowing this helps narrow down the problem.
- Check Your Website’s Activity Logs: Your website hosting company usually provides “access logs” that record all requests to your site and the response codes. Looking at these logs can show you which pages are having 401 problems and even the internet addresses that are causing them.
- Review Core Website Files (if comfortable): If you’re managing basic server access, you might need to check certain website files where login rules are stored. This is a common place for settings mistakes. If this sounds too technical, it’s a good sign to bring in experts.
- Test Your Website’s Login System: If your site has custom login forms or member areas, these systems need to be checked. Sometimes, updates or conflicts can cause them to stop verifying user details correctly.
- Look at Your Security Software: If you use security plugins or software on your website, check their settings. They might be blocking legitimate login attempts if they are configured too strictly. Temporarily turning off these tools (with caution) can help identify if they are the cause of the 401 Unauthorized error.
- Verify Connections to Other Services: If parts of your website rely on connecting to external services (like payment processors), make sure those connections are working. Incorrect or expired keys for these connections can cause a 401 error.
- Contact Your Hosting Company: If you’ve tried these steps and still can’t find the cause, your website hosting provider can look at server-side settings, firewalls, and other issues that might be blocking successful logins.
Your Website’s Reliability Matters
Don’t let login problems frustrate your customers or hurt your website’s ability to perform. At Edens Digital, we offer website maintenance, technical problem-solving, and security help, all designed for businesses like yours in Nigeria.
We find and fix problems like 401 Unauthorized errors, making sure your digital doors are always open to the right people, at the right time.
Keep your website reliable and secure. Contact Edens Digital today for a thorough website check and dependable ongoing support!
