TL;DR: Regenerate your personal access token with the workflow scope checked, then push again with the new token. GitHub refuses to let any OAuth token touch files under .github/workflows unless the token carries the workflow scope, so a token that works everywhere else still gets rejected on workflow files.

```text
refusing to allow an OAuth App to create or update workflow
```

## The fix

1. Create a new token with the workflow scope. For a classic PAT, tick the workflow checkbox. For a fine-grained PAT, grant Actions read and write on the repo.
   Expected: The token summary lists the workflow scope.

2. Clear the cached credential so git asks for the new token on the next push, then paste the new token when prompted.
   ```bash
   printf 'protocol=https\nhost=github.com\n' | git credential reject
   ```
   Expected: The next git push prompts for a username and password; the push completes.

3. Push again.
   ```bash
   git push origin main
   ```
   Expected: The push completes instead of the refusing error.

## When this applies

- git push over HTTPS fails only when the push includes .github/workflows files
- you authenticate with a personal access token or OAuth app token

## When it does NOT apply

- the push has no workflow files (then it is a different auth problem)
- you push over SSH (scopes do not apply there)

## Compatibility

GitHub.com and GitHub Enterprise Server. Applies to PAT classic, fine-grained PATs, and OAuth app tokens used for git over HTTPS.

## Variants of this error

### `refusing to allow an OAuth App to create or update workflow without `workflow` scope`
Same error with the missing scope named. Same fix: reissue the token with that scope.

## Why it happens

Workflow files can execute arbitrary code with access to repository secrets, so GitHub treats them as privileged. The workflow scope is a separate opt-in so a compromised token cannot silently install a secret-stealing workflow.

## Edge cases and pitfalls

- If a CI system or password manager holds the old token, rotate it there too or the next push fails the same way.
- Fine-grained PATs do not have a checkbox literally named workflow; use Actions read and write permissions.
- Inside Actions itself, GITHUB_TOKEN already has workflow-file access in its own repo; this error is about pushing from your machine.