GitHub 'Permission Denied' or 403 When Pushing Over HTTPS

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Check which account Git is using

   Copy steps
   1. Run git remote -v to confirm the URL
   2. Remove the cached credential in Keychain Access (macOS) or Credential Manager (Windows)
   3. Push again and sign in with the right account
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Fix the token permissions

   Copy steps
   1. Classic token: enable the repo scope
   2. Fine-grained token: select the repository and set Contents to Read and write
   3. Authorize the token for SSO under Configure SSO if the org uses it
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Confirm you have write access

   Copy steps
   1. Open the repository > Settings > Collaborators, or ask an owner
   2. If you only have read access, fork the repo and open a pull request
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Use GitHub CLI to sign in cleanly

   Copy steps
   1. Run gh auth login and gh auth status
   2. Run gh auth setup-git so Git uses its credentials
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

git push shows 'remote: Permission to OWNER/REPO.git denied to USER', 'The requested URL returned error: 403', or 'remote: Repository not found' for a repo you can open in the browser.

Why it happens

• Git is using a cached credential for a different GitHub account
• The personal access token lacks the repo scope or Contents write permission, or is not granted that repository
• The organization requires SAML SSO and the token is not authorized
• You only have read access to the repository
• The remote URL has a typo or the repository was renamed or moved (private repos return 'not found' instead of 403)

This guide also covers

• remote permission denied to github 403
• github repository not found but exists
• the requested url returned error 403 github
• fatal unable to access github 403

Other GitHub errors

• GitHub Permission Denied (publickey) Error
• GitHub 'Password Authentication Was Removed' Error
• GitHub Push Rejected: Updates Were Rejected (Non-Fast-Forward)
• GitHub Push Blocked: Repository Rule Violations (GH013 / Secret Detected)
• GitHub Push Rejected: File Exceeds 100 MB Limit
• GitHub Locked Out: Lost 2FA Device or Recovery Codes
• GitHub Actions Workflow Stuck in Queued / Waiting for a Runner
• GitHub Actions: 'Recent Account Payments Have Failed or Spending Limit Needs to Be Increased'