CircleCI "Restoring cache: no cache found"

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

A restore_cache step found nothing to restore, so dependencies reinstall from scratch. The key changed, no listed key matched a saved cache, or save and restore keys differ.

What this error means

Logs show "Skipping cache - no cache found" instead of restoring, and the install step runs full every time. The job still passes but is slow and wastes minutes.

Restoring cache
Found a cache from build ... at v1-deps-
Skipping cache - no cache found for key v1-deps-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}

Common causes

Key changes every run

A key built from a volatile value (a timestamp, the build number) never matches a prior save, so every restore misses.

save_cache and restore_cache keys differ

If the key template used to save does not match the one used (or its fallback prefixes) to restore, nothing lines up.

No fallback (partial) key

Without a broader fallback prefix, a checksum change (any lockfile edit) is a hard miss instead of a partial restore.

How to fix it

Use matching keys with a fallback prefix

- restore_cache:
    keys:
      - v1-deps-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}
      - v1-deps-
- run: npm ci
- save_cache:
    key: v1-deps-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}
    paths:
      - node_modules

Align save and restore

1. Use an identical primary key template in save_cache and restore_cache.
2. Add a broader fallback prefix in restore_cache.keys for partial hits.
3. Avoid volatile values (build number, timestamp) in cache keys.

How to prevent it

• Key caches on lockfile checksums, never on volatile values.
• Always include a fallback prefix for partial restores.
• Keep save and restore key templates identical.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• GitHub Actions documentation