Unable to Access HERE APIs Due to Missing API Key or OAuth 2.0 Credentials

Symptoms
--------

You may experience one or more of the following:

HTTP 401 Unauthorized when calling HERE APIs.
Authentication failed or invalid credentials errors.
Inability to generate an API Key for a new application.
OAuth access token cannot be created for server-to-server integrations.
Applications are unable to access Geocoding, Routing, Search, or other HERE Platform services.
Confusion regarding where to create and manage application credentials.

Answer
------

To access HERE Platform location services, you must first create an application in Access Manager and then generate either an API Key or OAuth 2.0 credentials. These credentials are required to authenticate requests to HERE Platform services such as Geocoding, Routing, Search, and other supported APIs.

Root Cause
----------

Authentication errors typically occur because:

No application has been created in Access Manager.
The application does not have valid credentials configured.
The API Key is missing, disabled, deleted, or incorrectly used.
OAuth 2.0 credentials have not been generated or configured properly.
An incorrect authentication method is being used for the target service.

Procedure
---------

### Step 1: Access Access Manager

1. Sign in to your HERE account.
2. Open the launcher menu located in the upper-right corner of the HERE Platform portal.
3. Select Access Manager.

### Step 2: Register a New Application

1. Open the Apps tab.
2. Select Register New App.
3. Enter the required application information.
4. Create the application. [

### Step 3: Configure Project Association

When creating the application, review the Default Access to a Project setting. Follow the behavior currently available in your HERE Platform environment. If project association is not required, leave the setting as No Project.

### Step 4: Generate an API Key

After the application is created:

1. Open the application's Credentials section.
2. Generate an API Key.
3. Copy and securely store the generated key.
4. Use the API Key when calling supported HERE Platform services. [

Important: A maximum of two API Keys can be associated with a single application at one time. Existing keys can be disabled or deleted if no longer needed.

### Step 5: Generate OAuth 2.0 Credentials

For workflows requiring token-based authentication:

1. Open the application's Credentials section.
2. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials.
3. Use the generated credentials to request access tokens.
4. Use the resulting bearer token when calling services that support OAuth authentication.

Additional OAuth setup details are available through HERE Identity and Access Management documentation referenced by the original article.

### Step 6: Manage Existing Credentials

Applications and their credentials can be reviewed later by returning to the Apps tab in Access Manager and selecting the desired application.

Impact
------

Without valid API Key or OAuth 2.0 credentials:

Requests to HERE Platform services will fail authentication.
Applications may be unable to access licensed services.
Development, testing, and production integrations may be blocked.

Expected Behavior
-----------------

A newly created application appears in Access Manager.
API Keys can be generated and managed from the application credential page.
OAuth 2.0 credentials can be generated and used to obtain access tokens.
Authenticated requests successfully access authorized HERE services.

Unexpected Behavior
-------------------

Credential creation options are unavailable.
API Keys cannot be generated despite application creation.
OAuth token generation fails with valid configuration.
Authentication failures continue after correct credential configuration.

Products
--------

HERE Platform
Access Manager
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Location Services APIs
* OAuth 2.0 Authentication

Keywords / Tags
---------------

HERE Platform, Access Manager, API Key, OAuth 2.0, Token Credentials, Authentication, Authorization, IAM, App Registration, Geocoding API, Routing API, Search API, Access Token, Developer Portal, Credential Management