200-901 Cisco Platforms and Development Practice Question
A developer is writing a Python script that uses the Cisco Meraki Dashboard API to retrieve a list of organizations. The script sends a GET request to https://api.meraki.com/api/v1/organizations but receives an HTTP 401 Unauthorized response. The developer has confirmed that the API key is correct and active. Which header must be included in the request to authenticate successfully?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a widely used scheme like Authorization: Bearer or a generic X-Api-Key header will work, when Meraki requires its own specific custom header.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key: <API_KEY>
The Meraki Dashboard API authenticates requests using the API key supplied in the X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key header. When this header is missing or incorrectly named, the API returns 401 Unauthorized regardless of the key's validity. Therefore, the developer must include X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key with the correct key value to successfully retrieve the list of organizations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Api-Key: <API_KEY>
Why it's wrong here
Api-Key is not a valid authentication header for the Meraki Dashboard API. The API expects a custom X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key header. Sending Api-Key will cause the API to ignore the credentials and return 401 Unauthorized, so this option fails to meet the authentication requirement of the scenario.
- ✗
Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>
Why it's wrong here
The Meraki Dashboard API does not use the Bearer token scheme for authentication. While Bearer tokens are common in other REST APIs, Meraki expects the API key in a custom header. Using Authorization: Bearer would result in a 401 Unauthorized, exactly as observed in the scenario, so this header is incorrect.
- ✓
X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key: <API_KEY>
Why this is correct
The Meraki Dashboard API requires the API key to be passed in the X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key header. Without this header, the API returns 401 Unauthorized even if the key itself is valid. Including this header with the correct key is the standard authentication method for all Meraki Dashboard API v1 endpoints.
- ✗
X-Api-Key: <API_KEY>
Why it's wrong here
X-Api-Key is a generic header used by some APIs, but Meraki specifically requires X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key. Using X-Api-Key will not be recognized by the Meraki Dashboard API, leading to a 401 response. The developer must use the exact header name expected by the platform, not a generic alternative.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.