Vercel Deployment Blocked: Commit Author Does Not Have Access
Workaround available Web, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket Updated October 21, 2026
Quick answer
On the Hobby plan, deployments from a private repository are blocked when the commit author is not the Vercel account owner. Make sure your Git email/account is linked to Vercel, or upgrade to Pro and add the collaborator.
Most likely fix: Link the right Git account and email.
Symptoms
Deployment shows 'The Deployment was blocked because the commit author does not have contributing access to the project on Vercel' or 'Hobby plan does not support collaboration for private repositories'.
Why it happens
- Private repo on Hobby with commits from another person
- Commit email not linked to your Vercel account
- GitHub account not connected under Vercel Authentication settings
- Bots or AI agents authoring commits under a different identity
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Link the right Git account and email
- Vercel Account Settings > Authentication: connect your GitHub/GitLab account
- Make sure git config user.email matches an email on your Vercel account
- Push a new commit to trigger a fresh deployment
2. Deploy as the owner
- Merge collaborators' work into a commit you author
- Or deploy manually with vercel --prod from your machine
3. Upgrade or move the project
- Upgrade the team to Pro and add the collaborator as a Member ($20/month)
- Or make the repository public, or transfer the project to the main developer's account
This guide also covers
- vercel commit author does not have contributing access
- vercel deployment blocked
- vercel hobby collaboration private repository
- vercel deployment blocked hobby
Still not working?
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