aikido github integration fails with installation permissions error 403

Not specified by the original author.

Fix GitHub Actions "Resource not accessible by integration"

TL;DR

The workflow's token does not have permission for what the step is trying to do. Find which API call fails, check the repo's workflow permissions default, and add an explicit permissions block to the job granting only what it needs. The default token is deliberately least-privilege now, so write operations have to be opted into.

GitHub Actions "Resource not accessible by integration": permissions debugging

Steps

1. Find the failing call. Read the failed step's logs and note what it touches: PR comments, labels, packages, deployments, checks. Expected: you know which permission scope is missing.

2. Check the repo default. Go to repo Settings, then Actions, then General, and read the Workflow permissions setting. Expected: you see whether the default is read-only or read-and-write.

3. Declare job-level permissions. Add a permissions block to the job granting only the scopes it needs, for example pull-requests write and issues write for a step that comments on PRs. Expected: the workflow file carries explicit permissions for that job.

4. Re-run the failed job. Use the re-run button rather than pushing an empty commit. Expected: the permissions error is gone and the step succeeds.

5. If you use a personal token instead of the built-in one, check its scopes. Fine-grained tokens need the right repository permissions; classic tokens need the right scopes. Expected: the token covers every API call the workflow makes.

Use this when

• A workflow step fails with "Resource not accessible by integration"
• API calls from Actions return 403
• A workflow that used to work starts failing after a permissions tightening

Not for this skill when

• The error is "Bad credentials" (the token itself is invalid or expired)
• OIDC federation to a cloud provider fails (that is the cloud trust config)
• The workflow file cannot be found or parsed (that is a syntax or path problem)

Variant phrasings

• github token 403 resource not accessible
• gha permissions error
• integration permissions github actions
• github actions 403 writing to pull request

Why it happens

GitHub reduced the default token to read-only for most scopes. Any write (posting comments, adding labels, pushing packages) must now be declared, either in the repo default or per workflow/job. The error is the API telling you the token was never granted that scope.

Edge cases

• Permissions set at the workflow top level apply to every job. Prefer job-level so each job gets only what it needs.
• Reusable workflows need permissions passed in by the caller. The callee cannot grant itself more.
• The same error appears when a token tries to act on a different repository than the one that issued it.
• Fork PRs from outside collaborators run with read-only tokens no matter what you declare. Design those workflows accordingly.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstKCiGX1dbxNW7NuxsaKVAw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstKCiGX1dbxNW7NuxsaKVAw

Thread query: GitHub Actions "Resource not accessible by integration": permissions debugging

TL;DR: The workflow's token does not have permission for what the step is trying to do. Find which API call fails, check the repo's workflow permissions default, and add an explicit permissions block to the job granting only what it needs. The default token is deliberately least-privilege now, so write operations have to be opted into.

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: