unauthorized: incorrect username or password

What This Error Means

The registry rejected the request due to authentication or permissions.

How to Fix It

1. Login to the exact registry host: docker login <registry>.
2. Double-check the image reference and repository path.
3. If using CI, confirm secrets are injected and not masked/empty.

Why It Happens

• You are not logged in to the registry endpoint.
• The image/repository path is wrong or you lack permissions.
• Your credentials/token are incorrect or expired.

How to Verify

1. Retry the pull/push and confirm it succeeds.
2. Run docker logout then docker login to validate credentials explicitly.

Common CLI Output

unauthorized: incorrect username or password

Prevention Tips

• Use scoped tokens for CI and rotate them regularly.
• Use a proxy/cache registry to minimize credential prompts across environments.