> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rundock.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication errors

> What to do when Rundock shows a sign-in or 401 authentication error.

Rundock runs your agents through Claude Code, using the sign-in already on your machine. When that Claude Code sign-in expires, the next message fails with an authentication error and Rundock shows a recovery card explaining what to do.

This is expected from time to time: Claude Code sessions expire on their own, and Rundock cannot keep them alive. The fix takes under a minute, and your conversations are safe.

## What you will see

A message like this, in the app or in the underlying error:

```
Failed to authenticate. API Error: 401
{"type":"error","error":{"type":"authentication_error","message":"Invalid authentication credentials"}}
```

It means your Claude Code sign-in has ended. It does not mean anything is wrong with Rundock or that you have lost any work.

## How to fix it

1. **Open a terminal.**
2. **Run `claude`.** This starts Claude Code and shows whether you are signed in.
3. **If you are already signed in, sign out and back in:**
   ```
   claude auth logout
   claude auth login
   ```
   Follow the prompts to sign in to your Anthropic account.
4. **Return to Rundock and resend your message.** It will work normally again.

## Why this happens

Rundock does not store your Anthropic credentials. It relies entirely on the Claude Code sign-in on your machine, the same one you use when you run `claude` directly. When that sign-in expires (or you have signed in elsewhere), Claude Code rejects the request with a 401, and Rundock surfaces it as the recovery card above.

Because the sign-in lives with Claude Code, the fix also lives there: re-running `claude` and signing in refreshes the session for both Claude Code and Rundock.

## Still stuck?

* Confirm Claude Code itself works: run `claude` in a terminal and send it a message. If that also fails to authenticate, the issue is with the Claude Code sign-in, not Rundock.
* Check your sign-in status directly with `claude auth status`.
* If `claude` works in the terminal but Rundock still shows the error, fully quit and reopen Rundock so it picks up the refreshed session.