"A commit author is required" when Git is properly configured

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1

EXPECTED BEHAVIOR:
Push to main branch → Automatic deployment with latest commit → Successful build

ACTUAL BEHAVIOR:

  • Git pushes don’t trigger deployments
  • Manual deployments fail with “A commit author is required” error
  • Project stuck deploying old commit instead of latest from main branch
  • Deploy hooks create pending jobs but no deployments appear in dashboard
  • Project shows “No active branches” despite Git being connected

REPRODUCTION STEPS:

  1. Push commit to main branch on GitHub
  2. Go to Vercel project → Deployments
  3. No new deployment appears
  4. Try manual “Create Deployment” → Shows “A commit author is required” error
  5. Try “Redeploy” → Uses old commit instead of latest

CONFIGURATION VERIFIED:

  • Git email matches GitHub account
  • Team Owner permissions with 2FA enabled
  • GitHub App has “All repositories” access
  • Root Directory is blank
  • Framework Preset is Next.js
  • Production Branch set to “main”
  • Repository properly connected in Git settings

TROUBLESHOOTING ATTEMPTED:

  • Re-authenticated GitHub integration multiple times
  • Disconnected and reconnected Git repository
  • Created fresh project (same issue persists)
  • Verified GitHub App permissions
  • Tested webhooks manually (return pending jobs but no deployments)
  • Created Deploy Hooks (work but deployments don’t appear)
  • Used explicit author in commits: git commit --author=“Name ”
  • Cleared all Vercel caches (CDN and Data)
  • Verified team membership and permissions

ERROR MESSAGES:
UI Error: “A commit author is required”
Build Logs: “npm error code ENOENT npm error path /vercel/path0/package.json”

PROJECT INFORMATION:

  • Framework: Next.js 15.3.2
  • Git Platform: GitHub
  • Account Type: Team account
  • Role: Owner with 2FA enabled
  • Local Build: Succeeds with npm run build
  • Deploy Hooks: Return pending jobs but no visible deployments
  • Git Connection: Shows “Connected” but “No active branches”

QUESTION:
What could cause “A commit author is required” despite proper Git configuration and team ownership? This seems like a platform-level issue as all standard troubleshooting has been exhausted.

3

I’m not able to repro this now. Is it still happening?

If so, please share a public minimal reproducible example I can use to debug :pray:

4

One thing to check is if the commit author email matches the email on your Vercel account (or attached Github account if you’re logging in with Github). Deployments will only be triggered from commits with authors who are part of the team on Vercel for private repositories

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5

Hi Jacob, it seems like the commit author not matching was the issue. Thanks for the fast response and getting my project back on track!

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