Token Expired - JSON REST API - Error Code

web-services rest api-design
BuddyJoe picture BuddyJoe · Jan 13, 2012 · Viewed 74.6k times · Source

I've got a JSON REST API. There is a handshake that will give you a token that is valid for 15 minutes. All calls you do within those 15 minutes should work ok. After the 15 minutes I am returning an error object (includes code, message, success = false) but I was also wondering what HTTP Error Code I should return? And will using a HTTP error code mess up certain clients? (HTML5, iPhone, Android). What is considered best practice in this scenario?

Answer

suing picture suing · Jan 14, 2012

You should return a 401 Unauthorized Status Code. You might additionally provide hypermedia to establish the token again

Think about what happens in a web app. You go to say a banking site. If not auth'd it will send you to the log in page. Then you log in and you are good to go for a time. Then it expires and the cycle repeats.

Just a thought.

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