Datadog Agent 403 API Key Invalid in Kubernetes
Quick answer
A 403 or API key invalid in the cluster agent usually means a wrong site setting, an Application key used instead of an API key, or a stale secret after rotation.
Most likely fix: Run agent status in a pod
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Run agent status in a pod
- kubectl exec into a node Agent pod and run agent status
Did this fix it?2. Use the correct key
- Use an API key, not an Application key
- Check the Kubernetes secret name and key
Did this fix it?3. Set the site
- Set datadog.site in Helm values (e.g. datadoghq.eu)
Did this fix it?4. Restart after rotation
- kubectl rollout restart daemonset/datadog -n datadog
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
Agent pods log API Key invalid or 403; no data from cluster.
Why it happens
- Wrong datadog.site
- App key used as API key
- Secret changed but pods not restarted
This guide also covers
- datadog agent 403 forbidden
- datadog api key invalid kubernetes
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