pcottle/learnGitBranching · error · GitError

Tags are not allowed as sources for pushing

Error message

Tags are not allowed as sources for pushing

What it means

git push does not accept a tag as the source ref; this engine models that by rejecting any options.source that resolves to a ref of type 'tag'. Real git likewise requires pushing tags via explicit refspecs like refs/tags/x.

Source

Thrown at src/js/git/index.js:1139

  }
  return inOrder;
};

GitEngine.prototype.push = function(options) {
  options = options || {};

  if (options.source === "") {
    // delete case
    this.pushDeleteRemoteBranch(
      this.refs[ORIGIN_PREFIX + options.destination],
      this.origin.refs[options.destination]
    );
    return;
  }

  var sourceBranch = this.resolveID(options.source);
  if (sourceBranch && sourceBranch.attributes.type === 'tag') {
    throw new GitError({
      msg: intl.todo('Tags are not allowed as sources for pushing'),
    });
  }

  if (!this.origin.doesRefExist(options.destination)) {
    console.warn('ref', options.destination);
    this.makeBranchOnOriginAndTrack(
      options.destination,
      this.getCommitFromRef(sourceBranch)
    );
    // play an animation now since we might not have to fast forward
    // anything... this is weird because we are punting an animation
    // and not resolving the promise but whatever
    this.animationFactory.playRefreshAnimation(this.origin.gitVisuals);
    this.animationFactory.playRefreshAnimation(this.gitVisuals);
  }
  var branchOnRemote = this.origin.resolveID(options.destination);
  var sourceLocation = this.resolveID(options.source || 'HEAD');

View on GitHub (pinned to 5b09d0ff96)

Solutions

1. Use the tag push syntax/refspec (git push origin v1 is rejected; use the dedicated tag push path or refs/tags/v1)
2. Delete/recreate the ref as a branch if you meant a branch
3. Check resolveID(options.source).attributes.type before pushing

Example fix

// before
git push origin v1
// after
git push origin refs/tags/v1

var src = engine.resolveID(options.source);
if (src && src.attributes.type === 'tag') throw new Error('use refs/tags/ refspec');

function isTagRef(engine, id) {
  var r = engine.resolveID(id);
  return !!r && r.attributes && r.attributes.type === 'tag';
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the push API (or typing git push) where options.source resolves through resolveID to a ref with attributes.type === 'tag', e.g. git push origin v1.

Common situations: Trying to push a tag with branch syntax; level scripts that mistakenly use a tag name as a source.

Related errors

• ' + branchName + ' is not a branch!
• ' + branchName + ' is not a remote tracking branch! I don't
• --delete doesn't make sense without any refs
• --delete only accepts plain target ref names
• cannot delete branch ' + options.destination + ' which doesn

AI-assisted analysis of pcottle/learnGitBranching@5b09d0ff96 (2026-08-27). Data as JSON: /api/errors/601346b4909b3eee. Report an issue: GitHub.