“Connection failed” or “invalid API key”

When Specter cannot connect to your blog, the cause is almost always one of three things, and they are quick to check.

First and most common: you used the Content API key instead of the Admin API key. Ghost hands out both, and they look similar, but only the Admin key can read and write your posts. The Admin key is two strings joined by a colon — an id:secret pair. If your key does not have that colon-separated shape, you have the wrong one. The Ghost Admin API key guide shows exactly where each key lives.

Second: the API URL. This should be your blog’s base address — the same domain you use to reach your site — not the /ghost admin path and not a URL with a trailing route on it. Copy it from the same integration screen where you got the key.

Third: a stray space or a partial paste. It is easy to clip a character off the start or end of a long key, or to paste with leading whitespace. Re-copy the whole Admin key and URL straight from Ghost’s integration settings and paste them fresh.

Specter tests the connection before it does anything else, so once these three are right, the test passes and you can continue to picking a folder. If it still fails after that, the integration may have been deleted on the Ghost side — recreate it via a custom integration — or email support@spectersync.com.