Invalidscope

Invalidscope, in the context of OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, refers to an error that occurs when one or more requested scopes are invalid or not supported by the authorization server. When a request includes an invalid scope, the server may terminate the authorization flow and return an error response with error=invalid_scope, often accompanied by an error_description explaining the issue.

Causes of invalid scope include requesting scope values that the server does not recognize, misspelled or malformed scope strings, or combining scopes in a way that is not permitted for the given client. Scopes may also be restricted by client configuration or by resource protection rules, meaning a client is not allowed to request certain scopes even if they exist in the server’s catalog. In OpenID Connect, omitting required scopes such as openid can also trigger an invalid_scope error if the provider treats the request as incomplete for the intended flow.

Diagnosis and resolution involve verifying the server’s documented list of supported scopes, and ensuring the client is registered with appropriate permissions. Check the exact scope strings used in the request for typos, and confirm that the client is allowed to request all specified scopes. When possible, test with a minimal, known-good scope set and gradually add scopes while monitoring responses. Accurate error descriptions from the authorization server can aid debugging, but applications should handle invalid_scope gracefully by informing users or adjusting the requested scope.

Example: a request with scope=openid profile nonexisting may yield error=invalid_scope from the authorization server.