# When a test fails

<h2 align="center"><sub>This page means</sub></h2>

<table><thead><tr><th width="454">A failed Test usually means</th><th>A failed Test rarely means</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><sub>Wrong secret, wrong scope, wrong destination id, or vendor outage</sub></td><td><sub>“The whole philosophy of APIs is wrong”</sub></td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2 align="center">Three Habits</h2>

{% stepper %}
{% step %} <sub>**First**</sub>

<sub>Re-read the error string the UI shows. It is cheaper than guessing.</sub>
{% endstep %}

{% step %} <sub>**Second**</sub>

<sub>Copy the key again from the vendor console after rotation; stale paste is the champion failure mode.</sub>
{% endstep %}

{% step %} <sub>**Third**</sub>

<sub>Compare with</sub> [<sub>Credentials: Test, clear, and troubleshooting</sub>](/security-and-privacy/what-counts-as-a-secret.md) <sub>before you open a ticket.</sub>
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

<h2 align="center"><sub>Ask a question</sub></h2>

<p align="center"><sub><strong>Did anyone change DNS, IP allowlists, or corporate TLS inspection this week?</strong></sub> <br><sub>If yes, walk that path before you blame the token.</sub></p>


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