Authorization headers

How the Authorization and apikey headers and the verify_jwt platform check work

Every request to an Edge Function passes through two layers of auth. First, a platform-level check (verify_jwt) runs before your code executes. Then, once the request reaches your handler, you decide what to do with the credentials the caller sent. This page is the reference for both layers. For the practical patterns built on top of them, see Securing Edge Functions.

Understanding authorization headers#

Edge Functions care about two request headers. Sending the wrong credential in the wrong header is the most common source of 401 errors.

A common mistake is sending a publishable or secret key as a bearer token: Authorization: Bearer sb_publishable_.... The new API keys are not JWTs. The platform check can't validate them, and your handler can't verify them as JWTs either. Instead, put API keys in the apikey header.

You can send both headers together. A signed-in user calling your function through supabase-js, for example, sends their session JWT in Authorization and the project's publishable key in apikey.

The verify_jwt platform check#

When verify_jwt is enabled (the default), the platform inspects the Authorization header of every request before your function runs. It expects a valid user JWT. If the header is missing, malformed, or signed with a different key, the platform returns a 401 error, and your code never executes.

The check validates legacy HS256 JWTs and JWTs signed with the new asymmetric signing keys.

The check does not accept an API key. Publishable and secret keys are not JWTs, so callers that send one in the Authorization header fail the check before their request reaches your handler.

Use the verify_jwt flag to match how the function is called:

• Leave verify_jwt on for functions that are only called with a user JWT, such as functions invoked from the client through supabase.functions.invoke. The platform rejects unauthenticated requests before they reach your code, and your handler can trust that a valid JWT is present.
• Turn verify_jwt off for functions that are called without an Authorization header, such as webhooks from external providers, or service-to-service calls that authenticate with an API key. These patterns are covered in Securing Edge Functions.

Set the flag per function in supabase/config.toml:

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[functions.stripe-webhook]
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verify_jwt = false

For 401 failure modes and how to diagnose them, see Edge Function 401 error response.