Creative Nexus, Connect, Create, Thrive All guides

Apply fails with “bad secret” (403)

The secret endpoint rejected the request, the two secrets don't match.

3 min read Intermediate

A 403 {"error":"bad secret"} means the secret the platform sent doesn't match the one in your Nexus Apply plugin.

  • Confirm the secret in wp-content/mu-plugins/nexus-apply.php exactly matches the one in the platform's CMS connection.
  • No extra spaces or line breaks in either value.
  • If you rotated the secret, update it in BOTH places.

Related guides

Install the Nexus Apply plugin (secret endpoint)

A must-use plugin that lets fixes apply even when your host strips the auth header.

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