## **🚨 What This Error Means**

When you attempt to publish a press release through Signal Genesys and see a **401 'API Token is invalid'** error, it means Signal Genesys cannot authenticate your request. This is a **credential issue**, not a platform permission problem. The token you have entered is either incorrect, expired, or has not been saved properly.

This error will always block publishing until the API token is corrected. A simple refresh or retry will not resolve it.

## **🔍 Common Causes**

- The API token was copied with an extra space at the beginning or end.
- The token was regenerated in your press release distribution account but not updated in Signal Genesys.
- The token was entered into the wrong field during setup.
- The token has been revoked or expired by your distribution provider.
- The integration was set up using a test token that is no longer valid in production.

## **🛠️ How to Fix the Error**

1. **Log in to your press release distribution account** and navigate to your account settings or API / developer section to locate your current API token.
2. **Copy the token carefully.** Click the copy button if one is available, rather than selecting the text manually. This reduces the risk of including hidden spaces or missing characters.
3. **Open Signal Genesys**, the separate site connected to Search Atlas via API key.
4. **Locate the API key or credential field** within Signal Genesys where your distribution provider token is stored.
5. **Clear the existing token completely** before pasting. Do not paste over the old value, as residual characters can cause validation failures.
6. **Paste your new token** and check that no spaces appear before or after it.
7. **Save your settings.**
8. **Attempt to publish your press release again.** If the token is valid, the 401 error will no longer appear and your submission will proceed.

## **✅ How to Confirm Your Token Is Valid**

Before re-entering your token in Signal Genesys, verify it is active in your distribution provider's dashboard. Most providers display a status label such as **Active**, **Enabled**, or show a last-used date. If your token shows as **expired**, **revoked**, or is missing entirely, generate a new one from within that provider's platform and use the new value.

If your provider requires you to set specific permissions for the token (such as **publish** or **submit** access), confirm those permissions are enabled. A token that exists but lacks the correct scope will still return a 401 error.

## **🔄 If You Recently Regenerated Your Token**

API tokens generated in your distribution provider's account must be manually updated in Signal Genesys — the integration does not refresh them automatically. Any time you regenerate or rotate your token on the provider side, repeat the steps above to update the value stored in Signal Genesys.

If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be connected with a member of our team.