[field troubleshooting]: run xata auth status first; confirm workspace permissions and that the branch name is unique with no special characters beyond hyphens and slashes; the free tier caps branches at 5. Use xata branch list to check for naming conflicts. When merging branches with conflicting schemas (same column name, different types), Xata surfaces a migration conflict: run xata branch diff main, write a reconciliation migration, and test it on a throwaway branch before applying to main.

Context: Creating a Xata branch fails. The usual causes are authentication, permissions, naming, or the free-tier branch cap.