APITemplate.io Screenshot API Authentication Errors: How to Fix 401 Responses
Fix APITemplate.io screenshot API 401 errors by checking the API key, runtime headers, endpoint, and integration credentials.
A 401 from APITemplate.io points first to the API key. APITemplate’s legacy API reference describes 401 as an incorrect API key. Get the intended key from the API Integration area, then confirm the actual request sends it in the documented X-API-KEY header. Check that the key is populated at runtime, belongs to the right personal or team scope, and is being sent to the endpoint intended for your API version and region.
This guide follows APITemplate.io’s current key-management and REST documentation, while noting where an older v1 reference may differ. Do not share or log the secret while debugging.
1. Confirm the status code
Read the HTTP status and response body from the failed request. A 401 is an authentication problem to investigate with the credential, header, or endpoint. A 429 means the service is rate-limiting requests and calls for a different fix; retrying with a different API key is not the right first step. APITemplate’s current REST reference documents 429 for rate-limit excess. APITemplate.io REST API documentation
2. Get the right API key
- Sign in to the APITemplate.io console and open API Integration.
- Copy the key for the account or team that owns the integration. Personal and team keys are separate.
- Update the secret in the environment where the request runs: local development, deployment platform, CI job, or workflow credential store.
- Restart or redeploy the application if it reads secrets only at startup.
Watch for a blank environment variable, an old key left in a secret store, a copied placeholder such as YOUR_API_KEY, or whitespace accidentally included during configuration. APITemplate’s key-management guide covers retrieving and regenerating keys. Find or manage an APITemplate.io API key
3. Check the request header actually sent
The current getting-started pattern uses X-API-KEY. Verify the outgoing request after your SDK, proxy, automation workflow, or HTTP client has assembled it. Seeing a key in an editor or credential form does not prove that the failing request includes it.
cURL
curl -i \\
-H "X-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY" \\
"https://rest.apitemplate.io/v2/create-pdf?template_id=YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID"Use the exact endpoint and required request parameters from the current API reference for the operation you need. The example shows the authentication header shape; replace the URL and parameters with the current documented values for your region and operation.
Python
import os
import requests
api_key = os.environ["APITEMPLATE_API_KEY"]
url = "YOUR_CURRENT_APITEMPLATE_REST_ENDPOINT"
response = requests.get(
url,
headers={"X-API-KEY": api_key},
timeout=60,
)
print(response.status_code)
print(response.text)
response.raise_for_status()Set APITEMPLATE_API_KEY in the process environment before running the script. Use the HTTP method and endpoint documented for your operation; this generic request is intended to show safe header configuration.
Node.js
const apiKey = process.env.APITEMPLATE_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error('APITEMPLATE_API_KEY is not set');
const url = 'YOUR_CURRENT_APITEMPLATE_REST_ENDPOINT';
const response = await fetch(url, {
method: 'GET',
headers: { 'X-API-KEY': apiKey },
});
console.log(response.status, await response.text());Replace the endpoint and method with the operation shown in the current APITemplate.io REST reference. Avoid printing the header value while inspecting the request.
Alternative header form
APITemplate’s API reference also documents Authorization: Token [API_KEY]. Use this form only when your client or integration is deliberately configured for it. Do not assume both forms must be sent; begin with the current setup guide’s X-API-KEY pattern and keep the client and request consistent. REST API reference
4. Fix the n8n HTTP Request node
APITemplate.io’s n8n integration guide uses Header Auth with the name X-API-KEY and the real API key as its value. Check both the credential and its attachment to the node.
- Open the credential selected by the HTTP Request node. Choose the Header Auth setup described in APITemplate.io’s integration guide.
- Set the header name to
X-API-KEYand the value to the intended key. - In the HTTP Request node, select that saved credential. Confirm the node is not set to a different credential or to no authentication.
- Run the workflow and inspect its execution details. Verify the request went to the expected endpoint and that the credential was applied. Redact the secret from screenshots and logs.
If the secret was changed in APITemplate, update the n8n credential too. Editing an unrelated environment variable will not change a key stored directly in an n8n credential. APITemplate.io n8n integration guide
5. Verify the endpoint, version, and region
APITemplate’s current REST documentation lists regional base URLs. Older v1 examples use api.apitemplate.io, so copying an old sample into a current v2 integration can send the request to an endpoint that does not match your intended setup. Confirm all of the following against the current reference for your operation:
- The API version and regional base URL are the ones your integration is meant to use.
- The request path, HTTP method, and required parameters match that version.
- The key comes from the intended APITemplate account or team.
- No proxy, redirect, or workflow setting is dropping or replacing the authentication header.
Do not change endpoints mechanically based on a legacy snippet; use the current vendor documentation and your account’s configured region. Current REST endpoints and API reference
6. Rotate a key that may have been exposed
If a key was committed to source control, included in a public issue, or exposed in logs, regenerate it from API Integration and replace it in every application, workflow, and deployment that uses it. A rotated key will cause integrations still holding the previous value to fail authentication.
APITemplate’s security policy says API logs may be retained for up to 14 days and can be disabled in API Integration. Do not put secrets in debugging output, and do not assume log records can be selectively erased. APITemplate.io security information
7. Troubleshooting checklist
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 401 after deployment, while local calls work | Production secret is missing, stale, or not loaded by the running process. | Inspect the deployment’s secret configuration, redeploy or restart if needed, and confirm the runtime variable is nonempty without printing its value. |
| 401 in n8n | Header Auth credential is missing, incorrectly named, or not attached to the HTTP Request node. | Attach the intended credential and check the header name is exactly X-API-KEY. |
| 401 after switching to a team workflow | The request uses a personal key when the integration needs the team key, or vice versa. | Copy the key matching the intended account scope and update the stored secret. |
| 401 after following an old code sample | The sample may use a legacy v1 endpoint or a different setup pattern. | Use the current REST docs for the endpoint, version, and region; verify the outgoing request header. |
| 401 after key rotation | One or more clients still send the previous key. | Update every secret store, workflow credential, and deployed application that uses the key. |
| 429 instead of 401 | Rate limit, not rejected authentication. | Reduce request rate and follow the current rate-limit guidance. The documented thresholds can change; check the current REST reference. |
| Still failing with the expected key and header | Wrong endpoint, region, proxy behavior, or account configuration may remain. | Record the status, endpoint/version, method, and redacted headers; contact support without sending the key. |
8. Cost and reliability notes
A 401 means the request did not authenticate, so resolve the credential or request configuration before scaling retries. Blindly retrying the same invalid request adds traffic without fixing the cause. For intermittent network failures, distinguish the response code from connection errors and apply retries only where they are appropriate for the operation. For 429 responses, use the current documented limits and pacing guidance; APITemplate currently lists 100 requests per 10 seconds per IP address and up to 100 concurrent synchronous PDF-generation requests per user account, but service limits may change. Check current limits in the REST reference
Or skip the browser setup
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpimport requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
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- Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed. Response headers report the page verdict and billing status.
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9. When to contact APITemplate.io support
If you have confirmed the key, header, endpoint, version, and region and still receive 401, consult the current API docs and contact hello@apitemplate.io. Check APITemplate.io status as well. Include the HTTP status, endpoint and version, request method, approximate time, and redacted headers. Never send the API key itself. APITemplate.io support information
FAQ
Where do I find my APITemplate.io API key?
Sign in to the APITemplate.io console and open API Integration. Copy the key for the correct personal or team context.
Should I send both authentication headers?
No. The current getting-started pattern uses X-API-KEY; the reference also documents Authorization: Token as an alternative. Configure the form your client is designed to send.
Does a 401 mean I have hit the rate limit?
No. APITemplate documents 429 for rate limiting. Investigate the credential and request for a 401.
Can I paste my API key into a support ticket?
No. Send redacted request details and the error response, never the secret.
