Fundamentals · Medium · Free
Difference between HTTP 401 Unauthorized and 403 Forbidden?
FresherFundamentalsWeb & Full-Stack
401 vs 403
For Difference between HTTP 401 Unauthorized and 403 Forbidden, interviewers listen for a crisp definition, how the pieces interact in a real system, and one trade-off or failure mode you have seen or would guard against.
| Code | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 401 Unauthorized | Not authenticated | Login / refresh token |
| 403 Forbidden | Authenticated but not allowed | Check roles/permissions |
401 + WWW-Authenticate; 403 after valid auth but missing scope.