The PrestaShop API is a powerful tool that allows you to interact with your PrestaShop store programmatically. However, you may encounter an error message that says “401 Unauthorized” when you try to use the API. This error message means that the API is not able to authenticate you.
Cause of the error
The most common cause of this error is that the Apache web server is not passing the HTTP Authorization header to the PHP script that handles the API request. This header contains the username and password that you are using to authenticate with the API.
Solution
To fix this error, you need to edit the .htaccess file in the root directory of your PrestaShop installation. Add the following line after the line that contains “RewriteEngine on”:
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
This line tells Apache to pass the HTTP Authorization header to the PHP script.
Example
Here is an example of what your .htaccess file should look like after you have added the new line:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
Testing the solution
Once you have added the new line to your .htaccess file, try to use the API again. If the error message is gone, then the solution has worked.
Conclusion
This error can be a frustrating one, but it is a simple fix. By adding the new line to your .htaccess file, you can ensure that the Apache web server is passing the HTTP Authorization header to the PHP script that handles the API request.
