crowdin api error 409 branch already exists

crowdin api error 409 branch already exists

TL;DR

Fixes the Crowdin API 409 when your sync creates a branch that already exists. Check for the branch first and reuse it, or delete the stale one. Use when branch creation returns 409. Not for 404s on missing projects.

The error

{"error":{"code":409,"message":"Branch already exists"}}

Fix it

Step 1: List existing branches

node -e "console.log('call the list-branches endpoint and look for the branch name')"

Expected: You see the conflicting branch in the project.

Step 2: Reuse the branch or delete the stale one

node -e "console.log('point the sync at the existing branch id, or delete it if it is abandoned')"

Expected: The sync targets a branch that exists exactly once.

Step 3: Re-run the sync

node -e "console.log('run the branch sync again and confirm no 409')"

Expected: The sync completes without the conflict error.

When to use this

• Crowdin branch creation returns 409
• Parallel CI jobs race to create the same branch

When NOT to use this

• The project itself 404s, check the project id
• Uploads fail with 401, refresh the API credential

Tool and version compatibility

• Crowdin API v2
• crowdin-api-client-js

Variant phrasings

409 on every sync run

The sync never cleans up old branches. Add branch cleanup to the job.

branch exists but sync still fails

The branch is archived. Unarchive it or create with a fresh name.

Why it happens

Branch names are unique per Crowdin project. A sync that blindly creates the branch on every run collides with the one from the previous run, and the API answers 409 instead of silently duplicating.

Edge cases

• Branch names are case-sensitive; 'Release' and 'release' are different branches
• Deleted branches can linger in the API list briefly
• Rate limits on branch listing can mask the real conflict in big projects

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_65QZfTHYNcK5XC1CPFBZvQ