snyk monitor: "project already exists" on re-monitor after deletion

TL;DR: Restore the deleted project from the snyk dashboard instead of re-monitoring, or delete it permanently first and then monitor fresh. Snyk keeps deleted projects in a recoverable state, and re-monitoring the same target collides with that lingering record. Resolving the old record clears the way.

project already exists

1. Look for the ghost project. Open the snyk dashboard, go to Projects, and check the deleted or archived filter for the project.

Expected: you find the project you thought was gone. That lingering record is what the re-monitor collides with.

2. Option A: restore it. Restore the deleted project from the dashboard, then run your normal scan or monitor flow against it.

Expected: the project is live again with its history intact, and no duplicate is created.

3. Option B: remove it for good, then re-monitor. Permanently delete the lingering project from the dashboard, wait a minute for the deletion to propagate, then run snyk monitor.

Expected: the monitor creates a fresh project with no collision.

4. Confirm the dashboard shows exactly one project for the target.

Expected: a single project with a fresh snapshot timestamp, not two entries for the same repo.

Use this when

• snyk monitor fails right after you deleted the project and tried again
• an automation loop deletes and re-monitors on a schedule
• the dashboard shows the project under a deleted filter

Not for this skill when

• the project was never monitored before; the collision is then a naming clash with a different project, so use a distinct project name
• the error is about org access; fix the org reference first
• monitor succeeds but shows stale results; that is a snapshot refresh problem

Variant phrasings

snyk monitor says project exists after I deleted it

cannot re-monitor deleted snyk project

snyk project already exists error on second monitor

re-running snyk monitor collides with old project

Why it happens

Deleting a snyk project does not immediately erase its record; it moves to a recoverable deleted state so accidents can be undone. The monitor command checks for an existing project by target coordinates, finds the deleted record, and refuses to create a duplicate. Restore or permanent deletion resolves the identity the check is tripping over.

Edge cases

• An automation that deletes and re-monitors on every run will hit this forever; change the loop to restore-or-reuse instead of delete-and-recreate.
• The same repo monitored under two different orgs is fine, but the same repo twice in one org is not; check you are not colliding across integrations (GitHub vs CLI) in the same org.
• A distinct project name avoids the collision entirely when you genuinely want a second project for the same repo.
• After permanent deletion, give the backend a minute before re-monitoring; immediate retries can still see the old record.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_D6BJ2IQUZxTOfx7VQQBp9Q

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_D6BJ2IQUZxTOfx7VQQBp9Q

Thread query: snyk monitor: "project already exists" on re-monitor after deletion

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