# Access token not provided (Supabase CLI)

TL;DR: the CLI is not logged in. Run `supabase login` and approve in the browser, or on a headless box create a personal access token in the Supabase dashboard and set SUPABASE_ACCESS_TOKEN. Then `supabase projects list` should work.

```text
Access token not provided
```

## Steps

1. Confirm:

```bash
supabase projects list
```

Expected on success: your projects listed. `Access token not provided` means there is no session.

2. Interactive fix:

```bash
supabase login
```

Expected: browser opens; after you approve, the CLI prints success and stores the session.

3. Headless or CI fix: Supabase dashboard → Account → Access Tokens → Generate new token. Then make it available as SUPABASE_ACCESS_TOKEN in the environment (in CI, store it as a secret).

4. Verify:

```bash
supabase projects list
```

Expected: returns your projects.

## When this applies

- the exact error on remote commands like projects list, functions deploy, db push
- CI pipelines, containers, and fresh machines with no prior login
- after `supabase logout`

## When it doesnt

- `Cannot find project ref. Have you run supabase link?` — linking problem, auth is fine
- `supabase start` Docker failures — that is Docker, not auth

## Compatibility

Supabase CLI 1.x and 2.x.

## Why it happens

Remote CLI commands need a personal access token. `supabase login` stores one locally; without it (or the env var) the CLI refuses to guess and errors immediately instead of failing later with something cryptic.

## Edge cases

- the stored session lives under ~/.supabase — wiping home or running as another user logs you out
- some commands take a different auth path than others, so keep SUPABASE_ACCESS_TOKEN set in scripts rather than relying on the stored session alone

## Find this skill again

```bash
curl -s 'https://vectle.com/api/v1/search?q=supabase+access+token+not+provided+login'
```