Gradle "Could not determine the dependencies of task" - Fix in CI

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

Before running a task, Gradle resolves the configurations that task depends on. This error means that resolution failed while wiring the task graph - a configuration (e.g. a classpath) could not be assembled, so Gradle cannot even schedule the task.

What this error means

The build fails with Could not determine the dependencies of task ':module:task', followed by a nested Could not resolve/Could not find cause naming the dependency or repository that failed.

gradle output

* What went wrong:
Could not determine the dependencies of task ':app:compileJava'.
> Could not resolve all dependencies for configuration ':app:compileClasspath'.
   > Could not find com.example:lib:2.3.1.
     Searched in the following locations: ...

Common causes

A configuration the task needs cannot resolve

The task’s input configuration (compileClasspath, runtimeClasspath, an annotation-processor path) has a dependency that is missing, on an undeclared repo, or needs auth - so the whole configuration fails.

No variant matches the consumer’s attributes

A dependency that publishes Gradle Module Metadata may have no variant matching your JVM target/attributes, so Gradle cannot select files for the configuration.

How to fix it

Resolve the failing configuration directly

Inspect the exact configuration the task depends on to see what failed.

Terminal

./gradlew :app:dependencies --configuration compileClasspath
./gradlew :app:dependencyInsight --dependency com.example:lib

Declare the repo / fix the coordinates

Add the hosting repository (with credentials if private) or correct the version.

build.gradle.kts

repositories {
    mavenCentral()
    maven { url = uri("https://nexus.example.com/repository/maven-releases/") }
}

How to prevent it

Centralize repositories in settings.gradle dependencyResolutionManagement.
Use a version catalog so coordinates are defined once.
Cache ~/.gradle/caches so configurations resolve from cache after the first run.

Frequently asked questions

What causes ""Could not determine the dependencies of task""?

How do I fix "Could not determine the dependencies of task"?