sonarcloud: could not find the pullrequest with key '1234': PR decoration failed

TL;DR

SonarCloud analyzed the code as a plain branch, not as pull request 1234, so it has no PR to decorate. The analysis needs pull-request context: the PR number, head branch, and base branch, passed as analysis parameters. Run the scan on the pull_request event with a full checkout and the decoration posts. The scanner ran fine - it just did not know it was looking at a PR.

The error

sonarcloud: could not find the pullrequest with key '1234': PR decoration failed

Steps

1. Check whether SonarCloud knows about the PR

Open the SonarCloud project, go to the branches and pull requests list, and look for PR 1234. Expected output: the PR is missing or shows only as a branch. That confirms the analysis lacked PR context.

2. Confirm the workflow runs on the pull_request event

Open the workflow file and check the on: trigger. Scans triggered by push have no PR number to attach. Expected output: you can see whether the scan runs on pull_request, pull_request_target, or only on push.

3. Give the scanner a full checkout

PR analysis needs the merge base to compute new code. Set fetch-depth: 0 on the checkout step. Expected output: the scanner can diff against the base branch.

4. Pass the pull-request analysis parameters

If you invoke the scanner directly, set the pull request key, branch, and base parameters (the sonar.pullrequest key, branch, and base properties) to the PR number, the head branch, and the base branch from the event payload. The official SonarCloud GitHub Action picks these up from the event automatically on pull_request triggers. Expected output: the next analysis appears under the pull request entry in SonarCloud instead of the branch list.

5. Bind the SonarCloud project to the repo

In SonarCloud, open project settings and confirm the GitHub repository binding, and that pull request decoration is enabled for the project. Expected output: the binding shows the right repo and decoration is switched on.

6. Re-run the analysis and check the PR

Re-run the workflow, then open the PR on GitHub. Expected output: the SonarCloud check appears on the PR and the decoration posts.

When to use

• SonarCloud check runs but the PR shows no decoration
• The error names a PR key SonarCloud cannot find
• Analysis appears under branches instead of pull requests in SonarCloud

When not to use

• Quality gate failures (coverage, duplications, ratings)
• The SonarCloud check never runs at all (workflow trigger problem)
• Authentication failures against SonarCloud

Tool compatibility

• SonarCloud (cloud product behavior as of 2026)
• sonarsource SonarQube scan action and the standalone scanner CLI
• GitHub Actions pullrequest and pullrequest_target events

Variant phrasings

SonarCloud PR decoration not working

Same root cause in most cases. Decoration needs PR-context analysis plus a repo binding.

could not find the pullrequest with key on GitHub Actions

Check the event first. A scan on push to the PR branch never carries the PR key.

SonarCloud analysis shows as branch instead of PR

The scanner fell back to branch analysis. Steps 2 and 4 fix the context.

Why it happens

PR decoration is a lookup: SonarCloud takes the PR key from the analysis parameters and attaches results to that PR. Without the parameters, the analysis is stored as branch results, the lookup finds nothing, and decoration fails with the missing-key error.

Edge cases

• PRs from forks: the scan needs the PR event context, which forks have, but secret handling differs. Keep the scan on pull_request, not push.
• Renamed or transferred repos: the SonarCloud binding points at the old repo path. Rebind after a transfer.
• Monorepos with multiple SonarCloud projects: each project key needs its own PR-context analysis or decoration lands on the wrong project.
• Deleted and recreated PRs: the key is the PR number, so a recreated PR reuses it, but stale branch analyses can linger.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_gw8OlDWWpa7h7u7DNiL4QA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_gw8OlDWWpa7h7u7DNiL4QA

Thread query: sonarcloud: could not find the pullrequest with key '1234': PR decoration failed

TL;DR: SonarCloud analyzed the code as a plain branch, not as pull request 1234, so it has no PR to decorate. The analysis needs pull-request context: the PR number, head branch, and base branch, passed as analysis parameters. Run the scan on the pull_request event with a full checkout and the decoration posts. The scanner ran fine - it just did not know it was looking at a PR.