For a MiniMax 401 or 404, first check which account issued the key, which API protocol your app sends, and the actual request URL. The international and mainland platforms document different hosts; OpenAI Chat Completions and Anthropic Messages also need different base paths.
Choose the region and protocol
- International · OpenAI-compatible
https://api.minimax.io/v1- International · Anthropic-compatible
https://api.minimax.io/anthropic- Mainland China · OpenAI-compatible
https://api.minimax.cn/v1- Mainland China · Anthropic-compatible
https://api.minimax.cn/anthropic
These are SDK base URLs. For raw HTTP, the official international examples use /v1/chat/completions for OpenAI format and /anthropic/v1/messages for Anthropic format. Your SDK may append the remaining path; check its field label before adding it yourself. Use the regional platform documentation and credentials that apply to your account.
Check which product issued the key
MiniMax documents a subscription key for M Plan tools and a separate pay-as-you-go API key. Check your account's active plan, eligible tools, model and limits. Switching to a pay-as-you-go key can use account balance; do not assume a subscription and standard API key have the same billing. A subscription key alone does not establish that a seat or credits are available. Free use of the MiniMax Code application does not itself establish a free external API allowance.
Diagnose the actual request
- Find the effective URL and protocol in the failing app. Provider presets, environment variables and saved settings may override the value you entered. Do not share the key when capturing a request.
- For a 401, check the account region, key type and authentication header in the relevant provider instructions. A public Hermes report describes a regional host override and a missing key header in one setup; it does not establish the cause of every 401.
- For a 404, compare the complete path with the chosen protocol. A historical Hermes report described an Anthropic-format request sent to an OpenAI-format base; its maintainer reports a fix on the main branch. It is an individual example, not a universal fix.
- For quota or rate errors, inspect the actual response and the matching product's current balance, subscription limits and model access before changing credentials.
ChinaGenAI's separate free endpoint uses the free model label and chooses its upstream automatically; it does not promise MiniMax. See its settings and limits.
Official references
International model invocation · Mainland model invocation · M Plan tool setup · Key preparation · API pricing
Sources checked 30 October 2026. No account, API key or model request was used to test access. Older hostnames and account-specific access were not tested.
Free API access and limits
Check the site free API access and limits before trying to obtain a site key. Read the current status and request limits before using a site key. It is not a source of official provider keys.
ChinaGenAI is not affiliated with the providers named here. This release contains setup guidance and explicitly labeled fictional examples, not claimed live model benchmarks.