goreleaser/goreleaser · error

%s: upload failed: the asset to upload can't be a directory

Error message

%s: upload failed: the asset to upload can't be a directory

What it means

Validation error in http.assetOpen: the artifact path opened for upload stat'd as a directory. HTTP uploads stream a single file body, so a directory cannot be uploaded; the upload kind prefix identifies which upload config selected this artifact.

Source

Thrown at internal/http/http.go:51

type asset struct {
	ReadCloser io.ReadCloser
	Size       int64
}

func assetOpen(kind string, a *artifact.Artifact) (*asset, error) {
	f, err := os.Open(a.Path)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	s, err := f.Stat()
	if err != nil {
		_ = f.Close()
		return nil, err
	}
	if s.IsDir() {
		_ = f.Close()
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: upload failed: the asset to upload can't be a directory", kind)
	}
	return &asset{
		ReadCloser: f,
		Size:       s.Size(),
	}, nil
}

// Defaults sets default configuration options on upload structs.
func Defaults(uploads []config.Upload) error {
	for i := range uploads {
		defaults(&uploads[i])
	}
	return nil
}

func defaults(upload *config.Upload) {
	if upload.Mode == "" {
		upload.Mode = ModeArchive

View on GitHub (pinned to f5edd73956)

Solutions

1. Point the upload at a file artifact, not a directory
2. Configure the correct artifact filter/mode (binary or archive) so directories are not selected
3. Pre-filter artifacts before upload so directory paths never reach assetOpen

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at internal/http/http.go:51 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of goreleaser/goreleaser@f5edd73956 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3c0e869e894540b3. Report an issue: GitHub.