Bitbucket "no basic auth credentials" (docker push)

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

A docker push failed because the daemon had no credentials for the registry - there was no docker login (or it used empty/wrong variables) before the push. The registry rejects the unauthenticated push.

What this error means

The push fails with "no basic auth credentials" (or denied/unauthorized). The build and tag succeeded; only the authenticated push to the registry failed.

denied: requested access to the resource is denied
errors: no basic auth credentials

Common causes

No docker login before push

The push needs a prior docker login to the target registry. Without it, the daemon has no credentials and the registry denies the push.

Login variables empty or unsecured

The username/password/token variables are unset, mis-scoped, or not marked secured, so the login silently uses empty credentials.

How to fix it

Log in before pushing

Authenticate to the registry with secured variables, then push.

- step:
    services: [ docker ]
    script:
      - echo "\$DOCKER_PASSWORD" | docker login -u "\$DOCKER_USERNAME" --password-stdin registry.example.com
      - docker build -t registry.example.com/app:\$BITBUCKET_COMMIT .
      - docker push registry.example.com/app:\$BITBUCKET_COMMIT

Provide valid secured credentials

1. Define DOCKER_USERNAME/DOCKER_PASSWORD (or a token) as secured variables.
2. Confirm they are in scope for the step performing the push.
3. Use --password-stdin so the secret is not exposed on the command line.

How to prevent it

• Always docker login before docker push.
• Store registry credentials as secured variables in the right scope.
• Use --password-stdin to avoid leaking the password in logs.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• Docker documentation
• Docker build cache
• GitHub Actions documentation