# missing_credentials (HTTP 401): meaning and fix

Fix: send Authorization: Bearer gid_… with every call. missing_credentials (HTTP 401) means the GetItDone API request arrived with no API key.

Seeing this in an AI assistant or MCP connector, not from our API? Read [what "missing credentials" means](https://nowgetitdone.com/blog/invalid-access-token-api-key-meaning).

- **HTTP status:** 401
- **Problem type URI:** https://nowgetitdone.com/docs/api/problems/missing-credentials

## What it means

The request arrived with no usable credential — the Authorization bearer header is the only form `/v1` accepts.

## Likely causes

- The Authorization header was never set on the request.
- A proxy or client library stripped the header before it reached the API.

## How to fix

- Send `Authorization: Bearer gid_…` on every request.
- Mint a key in the app under Profile → API Keys, then store it as a server-side secret.

## Example problem+json

```json
{
    "type": "https://nowgetitdone.com/docs/api/problems/missing-credentials",
    "title": "Missing credentials",
    "status": 401,
    "code": "missing_credentials",
    "request_id": "req_a1b2c3d4"
}
```

## Related

- [Authentication](/docs/api#authentication)
- [What "missing credentials" means in AI assistants and MCP connectors](https://nowgetitdone.com/blog/invalid-access-token-api-key-meaning)