HTTP request failed with status 401 when testing httr integration without production credentials

Testing httr integration without production credentials

The goal is to verify how httr reacts when a request is made without valid credentials, expecting the documented HTTP request failed with status 401 error.

Uncertainty remains about whether authentication headers set via authenticate() on a handle() object persist after the handle is closed, and whether special characters in passwords require manual URL‑encoding before being passed to authenticate(). Additionally, httr does not provide automatic retry logic for 401 responses, leaving the handling strategy to the user.

What is the expected behavior of the authentication header when a handle is reused after being closed?

Do special characters in passwords need explicit encoding when using authenticate()?