Getting transient auth issues on Github Actions

[marcodicro-dp]

Why are you starting this discussion?

Bug

What GitHub Actions topic or product is this about?

Actions Checkout

Discussion Details

Getting 401 using github.token. Worked after a few re-runs.

requests.exceptions.HTTPError: 401 Client Error: Unauthorized for url: https://api.github.com/repos/ORG/REPO/commits/refs/heads/gh-readonly-queue/master/pr-1234-abc123

[github-actions[bot]]

💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users.

Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩

• Your input will be carefully reviewed and cataloged by members of our product teams. 
  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual responses.
  • Rest assured, your feedback will help chart our course for product improvements.
• Other users may engage with your post, sharing their own perspectives or experiences. 
• GitHub staff may reach out for further clarification or insight. 
  • We may 'Answer' your discussion if there is a current solution, workaround, or roadmap/changelog post related to the feedback.

Where to look to see what's shipping 👀

• Read the Changelog for real-time updates on the latest GitHub features, enhancements, and calls for feedback.
• Explore our Product Roadmap, which details upcoming major releases and initiatives.

What you can do in the meantime 💻

• Upvote and comment on other user feedback Discussions that resonate with you.
• Add more information at any point! Useful details include: use cases, relevant labels, desired outcomes, and any accompanying screenshots.

As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities.

Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐

[marcodicro-dp]

Also on actions/checkout:

[anshG2003]

A 401 Unauthorized error using the default GITHUB_TOKEN (especially one that works intermittently) is usually tied to Race Conditions or Token Permissions in complex workflows like Merge Queues.

Since your URL contains gh-readonly-queue, this is specifically related to GitHub Merge Queues. When a PR is in the queue, GitHub creates a temporary "shadow" ref to test the merge, and the standard token sometimes struggles to keep up with the rapid creation/deletion of these refs.

Why this happens (The "Flaky 401")
Race Condition: The gh-readonly-queue ref is highly ephemeral. If your Action triggers exactly as the queue is re-ordering or merging, the API might return a 401 because the specific ref-linked token is being rotated or invalidated.

Permissions Lockdown: By default, GITHUB_TOKEN permissions are often set to "Read-only." In a Merge Queue, the runner might need explicit contents: read or metadata: read to query the API for that specific temporary branch.

The Fixes

1. Define Explicit Permissions
   Don't rely on the default "Read/Write" toggle in the UI. Explicitly define what the token can do in your YAML file. This ensures the token generated for the Merge Queue has the correct authorization.

YAML
permissions:
contents: read

Add metadata if you are querying repo-level information

metadata: read
2. Check the "Workflow Permissions" Setting
Ensure your repository isn't overriding your YAML.

Go to Settings > Actions > General.

Under Workflow permissions, ensure "Read and write permissions" is selected, or at least that "Read" is guaranteed.

3. Use a Persistent PAT (If it persists)
   If the intermittent 401s continue, it's likely a limitation of how the GITHUB_TOKEN scopes behave within the gh-readonly-queue namespace.

Create a Fine-grained PAT with "Contents" read access to that repository.

Store it as a Secret (e.g., GH_API_TOKEN).

Update your step to use that secret instead of the default token:

YAML

• name: Run Script
  env:
  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_API_TOKEN }} # Use your PAT here
  run: python your_script.py

4. Add a Retry Logic (The "Patch" solution)
   Since it "worked after a few re-runs," the issue is temporal. If you're calling the API via a script (like requests in Python), implement a backoff-retry.

Why it worked after re-runs
When you re-run a job, the Merge Queue has usually stabilized or the "shadow" ref has been firmly established in the GitHub database. The initial 401 was likely the API saying, "I'm not ready to authorize access to this specific temporary branch yet."

[marcodicro-dp]

Thanks for your answer @anshG2003 , sadly this is not related specifically to Merge Queue.

In the picture above actions/checkout failed for a PR check.

We never needed to set a PAT token before. It should work with the default Github Token.