gitbutlerapp/gitbutler · error · anyhow::Error

GitHub GraphQL returned errors: {messages}

Error message

GitHub GraphQL returned errors: {messages}

What it means

The GraphQL response contained a top-level `errors` array; but-github joins the error messages with '; ' and fails. This is how every GraphQL-level refusal surfaces: insufficient scopes, invalid variables, failed preconditions (e.g. NOT_READY_FOR_AUTO_MERGE), or rate-limit messages.

Source

Thrown at crates/but-github/src/client.rs:1300

    struct GraphQlError {
        message: String,
    }

    #[derive(Deserialize)]
    struct GraphQlResponse {
        data: Option<serde_json::Value>,
        errors: Option<Vec<GraphQlError>>,
    }

    let payload: GraphQlResponse = serde_json::from_slice(body)?;

    if let Some(errors) = payload.errors {
        let messages = errors
            .into_iter()
            .map(|error| error.message)
            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
            .join("; ");
        bail!("GitHub GraphQL returned errors: {messages}");
    }

    let Some(data) = payload.data else {
        bail!("GitHub GraphQL response did not include data");
    };

    Ok(serde_json::from_value(data)?)
}

pub struct PullRequestNodeId {
    id: String,
}

impl PullRequestNodeId {
    pub fn from_string(value: String) -> Self {
        PullRequestNodeId { id: value }
    }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to caf1f223d3)

Solutions

1. Read the joined message(s) - they carry the exact GraphQL error type
2. Fix the named precondition (PR state, repo settings, scopes) and retry
3. If scope-related, re-authenticate so the token gains the needed scopes

match client.graphql_query(query, &vars).await {
    Err(e) if e.to_string().starts_with("GitHub GraphQL returned errors:") => {
        let msg = e.to_string();
        if msg.contains("rate limit") { backoff_and_retry().await } else { Err(e) }
    }
    other => other?,
}

When it happens

Trigger: Mutating a PR that fails a precondition; a token missing the required OAuth scopes; querying fields the token cannot see; variable type mismatches in the query.

Common situations: Enabling auto-merge before required checks pass; read-scoped tokens used for writes; GitHub API version drift on GitHub Enterprise Server.

Related errors

• GitHub GraphQL repository not found for {owner}/{repo}
• GitHub GraphQL enablePullRequestAutoMerge returned an empty
• GitHub GraphQL disablePullRequestAutoMerge returned an empty
• GitHub GraphQL pull request #{pr_number} not found for {owne
• GitHub GraphQL pull request #{pr_number} in {owner}/{repo} r

AI-assisted analysis of gitbutlerapp/gitbutler@caf1f223d3 (2026-08-20). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fe801c9f7dc47a95. Report an issue: GitHub.