Repository ${owner}/${repo} not found or is private. Check r

Error message

Repository ${owner}/${repo} not found or is private. Check repository access.

What it means

GitHubAdapter.ensureRepoReady throws this when the git clone of https://github.com/${owner}/${repo}.git fails with error code 'not_a_repo', meaning git could not find a repository at that URL. Archon maps the low-level clone failure to a user-facing message distinguishing 'repo missing/private' from auth problems. It is thrown while preparing the codebase during webhook handling.

Source

Thrown at packages/adapters/src/forge/github/adapter.ts:758

    } else {
      ghToken = process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN ?? process.env.GH_TOKEN;
    }
    const repoUrl = `https://github.com/${owner}/${repo}.git`;

    const cloneResult = await cloneRepository(
      repoUrl,
      toRepoPath(repoPath),
      ghToken ? { token: ghToken } : undefined
    );

    if (!cloneResult.ok) {
      getLog().error(
        { error: cloneResult.error, owner, repo, repoPath },
        'github.repo_clone_failed'
      );

      if (cloneResult.error.code === 'not_a_repo') {
        throw new Error(
          `Repository ${owner}/${repo} not found or is private. Check repository access.`
        );
      } else if (cloneResult.error.code === 'permission_denied') {
        const authHint =
          this.auth.kind === 'app'
            ? 'Check that the Archon GitHub App is installed on the org and has the Contents:Read permission.'
            : 'Check GITHUB_TOKEN permissions.';
        throw new Error(`Authentication failed for ${owner}/${repo}. ${authHint}`);
      }
      throw new Error(
        `Failed to clone ${owner}/${repo}: ${'message' in cloneResult.error ? cloneResult.error.message : cloneResult.error.code}`
      );
    }

    await addSafeDirectory(toRepoPath(repoPath));

    // App mode: install the git credential helper on the newly cloned worktree
    // so workflows that outlive the 1h installation-token expiry can refresh

View on GitHub (pinned to 0773b97458)

Solutions

Verify the repo exists at github.com/${owner}/${repo} and the spelling matches the webhook payload.
If the repo is private, confirm credentials: install the Archon GitHub App on the org or set a GITHUB_TOKEN with access to that repo.
Check the structured log 'github.repo_clone_failed' for the raw cloneResult.error to confirm it is genuinely a 404/not_a_repo and not an auth issue.
If the repo was renamed, update stored repo identifiers and re-trigger the webhook.

Example fix

// before: webhook payload references old repo name
handleWebhook({ owner: 'acme', repo: 'old-name' })
// after: corrected/re-registered repo
handleWebhook({ owner: 'acme', repo: 'renamed-repo' })

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Before handling the webhook, confirm access to the repo
const res = await fetch(`https://api.github.com/repos/${owner}/${repo}`, {
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}`, Accept: 'application/vnd.github+json' },
});
if (res.status === 404) throw new Error(`Repo ${owner}/${repo} is inaccessible with current credentials`);

Try / catch

try {
  await adapter.handleWebhook(payload);
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof Error && /not found or is private\. Check repository access/.test(err.message)) {
    // surface repo-visibility/access guidance to the operator
  }
}

Prevention

Validate owner/repo against the GitHub API during webhook registration.
Keep the GitHub App installation covering all target repos with Contents:Read.
Monitor for repo rename/delete events and update stored identifiers.

When it happens

Trigger: Calling handleWebhook (which calls ensureRepoReady) for an owner/repo that does not exist, was renamed/deleted, or is private while the configured credentials (GitHub App installation or GITHUB_TOKEN) cannot see it.

Common situations: Typo in repo name from webhook payload; repo made private after initial setup; token belongs to a user without access; GitHub App not installed on that repo/org so the installation token cannot resolve it.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of coleam00/Archon@0773b97458 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/393e5319002533f4. Report an issue: GitHub.