When browsing the web, you might encounter strange messages like a “401 error” or the classic “401 unauthorized.” Whether it’s you or a Google bot exploring a site, these errors occur when something goes wrong with access. Yes, they sound like something from The Matrix, but they’re actually codes that the server sends, also known as status codes, to say: “Hey, something’s wrong here and you can’t enter.”
These numbers, called HTTP status codes, basically tell the browser (or bot) whether a request was successful or if something failed along the way. And although it might seem like something only for tech experts, they directly affect both users… and SEO.
If you see that your website has many problems you can’t understand, we can detect them through a technical SEO audit and fix them.
What is Error 401?
The 401 status code (also known as HTTP 401 or simply error 401) is a code indicating that you don’t have permission to access a resource without authenticating yourself.
It sounds more serious than it is (although yes, it’s quite annoying). Basically, it’s the typical case of “Who are you and why are you trying to enter here without permission?” It’s an error that the server sends when someone tries to access a protected page without entering the right credentials… or without entering any at all.
What happens is that the server tells the browser: “OK, to enter here I need you to tell me who you are,” and it sends a prompt for you to enter your username and password. If you don’t do it, or you enter them incorrectly, well… access denied.
Normally, before you reach that error page, a login window appears. If you enter your data correctly, you get in. If not, it takes you straight to the 401 error.
This is often used when website owners want certain pages to be accessible only to authorized users, such as when they’re working on something that isn’t ready to show to the world yet or they simply want to keep it private.
This type of protection is typically used when you want to limit access to specific parts of a website that aren’t ready to be public. If you’re interested in understanding more about how a website is organized from scratch (and how it affects SEO), take a look at this article about what a web domain is.
How to Fix Error 401
Before going crazy with this annoying HTTP 401, let’s look at the most common solutions to quickly resolve a 401 status code without drama.
Credential Verification
First of all: make sure you’ve logged in with the correct username and password. Because sometimes, no matter how convinced you are, you might have missed a letter without realizing it (or the dreaded Caps Lock is on, which also happens…).
Now, if you’re absolutely sure you’ve entered the data correctly and still nothing works, try changing your password. Something might have gone wrong there, or your account might be stuck.
And if what you’re trying to do is access a WordPress site that’s password-protected, keep the instructions for changing the administrator password handy. It never hurts to know how to do it, especially if you don’t want to be locked out of your own website as if you were an intruder.
Clearing Cookies and Cache to Solve Authentication Problems
Sometimes, the 401 error has nothing to do with incorrectly entered passwords. It can be something as simple (and annoying) as the browser having messed up cache or cookies. If they’re corrupted or expired, the server can go crazy and not let you in, even if you’re entering the data correctly.
What you can do in that case is something as basic as clearing the cache and cookies. You know, give the browser a quick reset to wake it up. If you use Google Chrome, it’s very easy. Here are the steps:
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner (yes, those ones).
- Go to Settings and then enter the Privacy and security section.
- Look for the option that says “Clear browsing data.”
- In the dropdown menu where it says “Time range,” select “All time” (we’re going to do a thorough cleaning).
- Check the boxes for “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files.”
- And finally, click on “Clear data.” Done!
After that, try accessing the website again. With luck, the error will have disappeared.
If you use another browser (Firefox, Edge, Safari, whatever it is), you can do the same thing. And if you don’t know how, take a look at a tutorial for clearing the cache according to your browser, which will explain it step by step.
Resetting Passwords
If the 401 error is appearing because you’ve entered the wrong password (yes, it can happen), the easiest thing is to change it directly. All websites have some sort of “Forgot your password?” option, so it’s not a big deal.
And hey, you wouldn’t be the first person who swears their password is correct… and it turns out it’s not. It has happened to all of us. Sometimes your finger slips, you confuse accounts, or simply the browser remembers something else.
The good thing is that changing the password is usually quick and often the most direct way to get rid of the error without complicating your life.
Checking Headers
OK, if you’re encountering a 401 error and you’ve already tried the usual things (password, cookies, etc.) and it’s still there like a pebble in your shoe, you might need to look a bit “under the hood.” According to the IETF folks (yes, those who ensure all this works), when a server sends a 401, it also has to send a header called WWW-Authenticate.
And what is that? Well, basically, it’s a note that the server sends to the browser saying what type of authentication you need to enter that page. It can be something as simple as username and password… or something more complex.
If you want to see exactly what’s happening, you can check that header yourself. If you use Google Chrome, follow these steps:
- Access the page that’s giving you the 401.
- Right-click and select “Inspect,” or press Ctrl + Shift + J to open the developer console.
- Go to the Network tab and reload the page.
- Click on the line that has the 401 status.
In the Headers tab, look for the part that says WWW-Authenticate in the response headers. There you’ll see what type of authentication the page is using.
For example, if something like “Basic” appears, it means that all the server is asking for is a normal username and password.
Contacting the Site Administrator
If you’ve tried everything above and the darned error is still there… well, maybe the problem isn’t on your end, but on the server.
In that case, the best thing you can do is contact the website’s technical support. Or, if it’s your own website, the agency that’s helping you with SEO. (And if you don’t have one… Here’s your SEO Agency to help you).
Now, before writing to them, make sure you’ve done all the tests we’ve told you about before (clearing cache, checking password, inspecting headers…). Because most likely, the first thing they’ll tell you is: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” but the web version.
So it’s better to get ahead, do your homework, and then contact them with all the steps already done. You’ll save time and some unnecessary back and forth.
Prevention Tips
And as the saying goes: better to prevent than to deal with an error 401 at 3 in the afternoon when everything was going well. So here are some tips to save yourself these kinds of scares
- Use a password manager: seriously, this is a game-changer. You forget about having to remember impossible passwords and can change them quickly if needed. Everything organized and secure.
- Update your passwords from time to time: I’m not saying you should do it every week, but don’t keep the same password since 2012. It doesn’t directly solve the 401 error, but hey, better safe than sorry.
- Don’t share your credentials: sounds basic, but we forget. That password that you and “only you” use… don’t let it end up circulating in the WhatsApp group.
- Keep your browser updated: it may seem trivial, but often updates bring security improvements that prevent silly errors.
