Fix · GitHub and Git

Token has the wrong permissions (403, resource not accessible)

Blocks your workSecurityNot checked against the vendor's current screens

What you may see

An automation or script says 403 or resource not accessible by personal access token
It says the token needs the workflow permission
A token that worked stopped working

Most likely cause

The token was created without the permission this action needs, it expired, or it was limited to other repositories.

Check first (about two minutes)

Check on GitHub whether the token is expired or limited to certain repositories (the settings page for tokens, which may be labelled differently).
Write down the ONE thing the token must do (read code, push code, edit workflows...).

The fix prompt

What you type here never leaves your browser. The search runs on this page, and nothing is sent to a server or to an AI.

The exact error or what you see

What you did before it happened

Kept only in this browser, on this device. Keys and passwords are removed before anything is saved.

Prompt language

You are a patient senior engineer who knows Git and GitHub very well and explains them to people who are not developers. I am not a developer, so explain every step in plain words and tell me exactly which button, menu or command you mean. If you are not sure about something, say so; do not guess.

Menu and button names change over time. If you cannot find a button or page I mention, say so and tell me what to look for instead of guessing.

THE PROBLEM
Token has the wrong permissions (403, resource not accessible)

THE EXACT ERROR OR WHAT I SEE
[paste the exact error here]

WHAT I DID BEFORE IT HAPPENED
[write in a few words what you did before it happened]

MOST LIKELY CAUSE
The token was created without the permission this action needs, it expired, or it was limited to other repositories.

DO THESE STEPS, IN THIS ORDER
1. Ask me what exactly the token is used for and in which tool. Do not ask for the token itself.
2. Tell me the smallest set of permissions for that job, and the settings page where I create a new token with a short expiry.
3. Tell me where to store the new token (an environment variable or the tool's secret settings), then how to delete the old one on GitHub.
4. Give me one harmless read-only call to test the new token.
Stop and tell me if what you see does not match a step. Do not skip ahead.

CHECK THAT IT WORKED
- The test call answers 200 and the original action works.
Tell me exactly what I should see on the screen when it works.

DO NOT CHANGE
- Do not widen the token to all permissions to "make it work".
- Anything I did not ask about: the design, the text, other pages, other settings or the data.
- Do not delete files, data or branches, do not reset or force-push, and do not rewrite history, unless you first show me exactly what would be lost and I say yes.
- Do not paste, print or ask me to paste a password or secret key into this chat. If one is needed, tell me which settings page of the right service to store it in.

WHEN YOU FINISH
Explain in simple words what you changed (file by file or setting by setting), why you changed it, and how I can undo it.

Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Cursor, then follow what it says.

After you tried it, did it work?

Steps

Ask me what exactly the token is used for and in which tool. Do not ask for the token itself.
Tell me the smallest set of permissions for that job, and the settings page where I create a new token with a short expiry.
Tell me where to store the new token (an environment variable or the tool's secret settings), then how to delete the old one on GitHub.
Give me one harmless read-only call to test the new token.

Do not do this

Do not paste the token into chat, a screenshot or a file in the project.
Do not keep a token that never expires.
Do not widen the token to all permissions to "make it work".

Try another entry

Token has the wrong permissions (403, resource not accessible)

What you may see

Most likely cause

Check first (about two minutes)

The fix prompt

Steps

Do not do this

Related

How can we help?