403
HTTP 403 Forbidden - LangSmith API Unauthorized Error
Stack trace
openai.error.OpenAIError: HTTP 403 Forbidden - Unauthorized
File "app.py", line 42, in main
response = client.langsmith.some_api_call()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/langsmith/client.py", line 88, in some_api_call
raise OpenAIError('HTTP 403 Forbidden - Unauthorized')
openai.error.OpenAIError: HTTP 403 Forbidden - Unauthorized Why it happens
The LangSmith API requires a valid API key with correct permissions. A 403 Unauthorized error occurs if the API key is missing, expired, revoked, or does not have access rights to the requested resource. This prevents unauthorized access to LangSmith services.
Detection
Monitor API responses for HTTP 403 status codes and log the full error message including the request context to identify unauthorized access attempts early.
Causes & fixes
API key environment variable is not set or misspelled
Ensure the environment variable LANGSMITH_API_KEY is correctly set and accessible in your runtime environment.
Using an expired or revoked API key
Generate a new API key from the LangSmith dashboard and update your environment variable accordingly.
API key lacks required permissions for the requested endpoint
Verify the API key permissions in the LangSmith dashboard and assign necessary scopes or roles.
Incorrect client initialization missing the API key parameter
Pass the API key explicitly when initializing the LangSmith client or ensure the client reads it from environment variables.
Code: broken vs fixed
from langsmith import LangSmithClient
client = LangSmithClient() # Missing API key initialization
response = client.get_project() # This line triggers 403 Unauthorized error
print(response)import os
from langsmith import LangSmithClient
os.environ['LANGSMITH_API_KEY'] = 'your_valid_api_key_here' # Set your API key securely
client = LangSmithClient(api_key=os.environ['LANGSMITH_API_KEY']) # Pass API key explicitly
response = client.get_project() # Now authorized
print(response)Workaround
Catch the 403 error in a try/except block, log the error details, and prompt for API key verification or re-authentication before retrying.
Prevention
Use environment variables to securely manage API keys and implement automated checks on startup to verify API key validity and permissions before making API calls.