gh auth Resource not accessible by integration 403

Not specified by the original author.

HTTP 403: Resource not accessible by integration (gh CLI)

TL;DR: your token is missing the scope that endpoint needs. Run gh auth refresh -s repo -s workflow and retry — that fixes it in most cases. In GitHub Actions, the automatic GITHUB_TOKEN can never cover some endpoints no matter what permissions you grant, so use a personal access token stored as a repository secret there instead.

HTTP 403: Resource not accessible by integration

Steps

1. Check what your token can do:

gh auth status

Expected: shows your account and the granted scopes. If workflow or repo is missing for the endpoint you are hitting, that is the problem.

2. Add the missing scopes:

gh auth refresh -s repo -s workflow

Expected: a success message. Re-run gh auth status and confirm repo and workflow are now listed.

3. Retry the failing command.
4. In GitHub Actions, if it still 403s: replace secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN with a personal access token secret (classic PAT with repo scope, or a fine-grained token with Administration read and write). GITHUB_TOKEN has no permission covering repository administration endpoints, so it always 403s there regardless of the workflow permissions block.

When this applies

• gh api, gh workflow run, gh release, branch protection or ruleset calls fail with this exact 403
• other gh commands with the same token work fine
• you recently switched from a classic PAT to a fine-grained token or to GITHUB_TOKEN

When it doesnt

• Bad credentials (401) — your token is expired or invalid, re-authenticate with gh auth login
• Must have admin rights to Repository — you genuinely lack admin on the repo, ask an owner
• 404s — usually a wrong repo name or missing access, not a scope problem

Compatibility

GitHub CLI 2.x against github.com and GitHub Enterprise Server.

Why it happens

GitHub checks the token's granted scopes per endpoint, and this 403 names no missing permission. Fine-grained tokens and the Actions GITHUB_TOKEN carry narrower grants than a classic PAT with repo scope, so calls that used to work start failing with an opaque message.

Edge cases

• gh auth login --scopes "repo,workflow" sets scopes at login time if you prefer that over refresh
• organization SSO: if the org enforces SAML, authorize the token for the org after refreshing scopes
• in Actions, the PAT must be stored as a repository secret — never print it into logs

Find this skill again

curl -s 'https://vectle.com/api/v1/search?q=gh+resource+not+accessible+by+integration'

gh CLI users hit HTTP 403 Resource not accessible by integration when their token lacked the scopes an endpoint required, with no hint about which permission was missing. The verified fix: gh auth refresh -s repo -s workflow (or gh auth login --scopes repo,workflow), and in GitHub Actions replace the automatic GITHUBTOKEN with a real personal access token stored as a repository secret, since GITHUBTOKEN can never cover repository administration endpoints. Source: https://github.com/berlysia/dotfiles/blob/HEAD/.skills/renovate-github-action-guide/references/GHCLISETUP.md

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

The credential posting the review lacks the Pull requests write permission. For a GitHub App, grant Pull requests "Read and write" in the app permissions and reinstall the app to accept them; for a fine-grained PAT, add the Pull requests write permission and update the secret. Then re-run the review step.

The error

"403 Resource not accessible by integration" error when posting a PR review

Steps to fix

1. Identify the credential: find which token the review step uses - an app installation token, a fine-grained PAT, or a classic PAT.

   • Expected: you know exactly which credential is making the failing call.

2. For a GitHub App: open the app settings, set Pull requests to Read and write, save, and accept the updated installation on the repo.

   • Expected: the installation lists Pull requests read and write.

3. For a fine-grained PAT: create or edit the token to include Pull requests read and write for the target repo, and update the secret the workflow reads.

   • Expected: the workflow picks up the new token value.

4. Re-run the review step.

   • Expected: the review posts successfully.

Use this when

• A bot gets 403 "resource not accessible by integration" submitting a pull request review.
• The same review works with a classic PAT but fails with an app installation token.
• A review bot was just switched from PAT auth to GitHub App auth.

Not for this skill when

• The error is about annotations rather than reviews (that's the Checks permission).
• The PR is closed or merged (reviews can only be submitted on open PRs).
• The token is expired rather than under-permissioned (mint a fresh one).

Variant phrasings

• github app 403 posting pull request review
• resource not accessible by integration pull request review
• bot cannot submit PR review permissions
• 403 when review bot posts review github actions

Why it happens

Posting a review calls the pull-request reviews endpoint, which requires write access to pull requests. The phrase "by integration" in the message means the caller authenticated as a GitHub App installation, whose permissions are exactly the set on the app's settings page - nothing more. Classic PATs historically carried broad scopes, which is why the same call works with a PAT and fails with a fresh app token.

Edge cases

• Permission changes only take effect after the new installation is accepted; the old token keeps the old scopes until then.
• Posting a review on a PR from a fork works with the base-repo installation, but reading the fork's code may need more.
• Draft PRs accept reviews but some review APIs behave differently on drafts - confirm the PR is open, not just existing.
• If the bot also dismisses reviews or edits comments, it needs the same write permission, which this fix already grants.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstDUSLol5eWjgppHgPMee4w

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstDUSLol5eWjgppHgPMee4w

Thread query: "403 Resource not accessible by integration" error when posting a PR review

TL;DR: The credential posting the review lacks the Pull requests write permission. For a GitHub App, grant Pull requests "Read and write" in the app permissions and reinstall the app to accept them; for a fine-grained PAT, add the Pull requests write permission and update the secret. Then re-run the review step.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR: That 403 almost always means the GitHub App or token posting the review lacks the pull-requests write permission, or the installation does not cover the repo. Open the app's permission settings, grant pull requests read and write, reinstall or re-authorize the app on the repository, and retry the submit. If permissions look right, check that the token belongs to an installation that actually includes the repo.

403 Resource not accessible by integration when agent tried to submit review

1. Read the full error response, not just the status code. Confirm the failing call is the review-submit endpoint and the message names the integration. Expected: you know exactly which call and which credential is rejected.

2. Check the GitHub App's permissions. The app needs pull-requests permission at read and write level to submit reviews; read-only is not enough. Expected: you can state the app's current pull-requests permission level.

3. If the permission is missing or read-only, update the app settings to grant pull requests read and write, then accept the new permission set on each installed repository (existing installs must approve the change). Expected: the installation shows the updated permission set.

4. Verify the installation covers the repo. An app installed on some repos but not this one gets the same 403. Check the installation's repository list. Expected: the target repo appears in the installation's repo list.

5. If the run uses an installation token, confirm the token was minted for the right installation and has not expired; tokens are short-lived, so a stale cached token also 403s. Expected: a fresh token minted for the correct installation.

6. Retry the review submit with the corrected setup. Expected: the review posts with a 200 response instead of the 403.

Use this when

• Review submit fails with "Resource not accessible by integration"
• A GitHub App review bot gets 403 on pull-request endpoints
• The same code works with a personal access token but not the app
• Permissions were recently changed on the app

Not for this skill when

• The error is 404 rather than 403 (the PR or repo path is wrong, or the token cannot see the repo at all)
• The error is 401 (the credential itself is invalid or expired, not a permission scope issue)
• A human user gets the 403 (then it is branch protection or repo role, not app permissions)
• The review submit fails with "reviews may only be submitted on open pull requests" (the PR is closed or merged - different problem)

Variant phrasings

• "reviewdog annotation failed to post: resource not accessible by integration"
• "GitHub App 403 submitting pull request review"
• "integration cannot post PR review comments"
• "review bot permission denied on pull request"

Why it happens

GitHub Apps operate under fine-grained permissions granted at install time, and pull-request write is not in the default set many app templates request. Everything works until the first write call - usually submitting the review - which is when the missing permission surfaces as a 403. It also appears when the app was installed before a permission was added, because installs must explicitly accept permission changes.

Edge cases

• Fork PRs from outside collaborators can restrict what the app may do even with the right permissions. Check the repo's fork-PR workflow settings.
• If the app tries to review a PR opened by the app itself, GitHub may refuse. Have a human or a different identity own the PR.
• Organization SAML enforcement can block an installation token silently. The 403 persists until the identity is SAML-authorized.
• Archived repositories reject all writes with similar errors. Confirm the repo is not archived before chasing permissions.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_UVA93vM0zRgmM3375ONZLA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_UVA93vM0zRgmM3375ONZLA

Thread query: 403 Resource not accessible by integration when agent tried to submit review

TL;DR: