# Unleash frontend API still requires auth when AUTH_TYPE NONE is set

## The problem

Running unleash-server v4.20.0 locally with AUTH_TYPE=NONE, the /api/client/* endpoints work without auth as expected, but /api/frontend (used by the client SDKs) still demands a valid frontend API key. This makes local client testing inconvenient because every developer needs a token even though auth is disabled.

## The verified fix

This was an Unleash bug: the frontend API endpoint did not respect AUTH_TYPE=NONE. It was fixed by PR #5806, which made the frontend API skip authentication when auth is disabled. Upgrade to a version containing that fix and /api/frontend will work token-free in local mode. As a workaround on older versions, you can generate a frontend API key once and share it for local testing, or front the endpoint with a custom handler.

Source: https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/issues/3005