How do I fix Invalid Authentication (401) errors with W&B Inference?

A 401 Invalid Authentication error means your API key is invalid or your W&B project entity/name is incorrect.

Verify your API key

1. Get a new API key at https://wandb.ai/authorize
2. Check for extra spaces or missing characters when copying
3. Store your API key securely

Check your project configuration

Ensure your project is formatted correctly as <your-team>/<your-project>:

Python example:

client = openai.OpenAI(
    base_url='https://api.inference.wandb.ai/v1',
    api_key="<your-api-key>",
    project="<your-team>/<your-project>",  # Must match your W&B team and project
)

Bash example:

curl https://api.inference.wandb.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-api-key>" \
  -H "OpenAI-Project: <your-team>/<your-project>"

Common mistakes

• Using personal entity instead of team name
• Misspelling team or project name
• Missing forward slash between team and project
• Using an expired or deleted API key

Still having issues?

• Verify the team and project exist in your W&B account
• Ensure you have access to the specified team
• Try creating a new API key if the current one isn’t working