Credentials could not be loaded CI/CD Origin: Build & delivery Last updated 25 Oct 2026

GitHub Actions: Error: Credentials could not be loaded, please check your action inputs: Could not load credentials from any providers

aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials found no usable credentials — no keys, no role to assume, or the OIDC token was not requested.

Exact message you may see Credentials could not be loaded, please check your action inputsCould not load credentials from any providersCredentials could not be loadedaws-actions/configure-aws-credentials Could not load credentials
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Seen on: GitHub Actions

Meaning

The action needs either static keys (aws-access-key-id / aws-secret-access-key) or a role with OIDC (role-to-assume) and permissions: id-token: write. Empty secrets, a missing permission block, or a wrong region cause this message.

Common causes

  • Secrets empty or missing (forks, wrong environment)
  • OIDC used without permissions: id-token: write
  • role-to-assume missing or wrong
  • Missing aws-region input
  • Job does not have access to the environment holding the secrets

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Add permissions: { id-token: write, contents: read } and role-to-assume
  2. Or provide keys from secrets that exist
  3. Set aws-region

Detailed fix by platform

GitHub Actions

  1. uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4 with role-to-assume: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/gha-deploy and aws-region: eu-west-1

Code examples

OIDC to AWS

yaml
permissions:
  id-token: write
  contents: read
steps:
  - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
    with:
      role-to-assume: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/gha-deploy
      aws-region: eu-west-1

How to diagnose

  1. Method — OIDC role or static keys?
  2. Permissions — id-token: write?
  3. Inputs — region and role set?

🔧 Still not fixed?

Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:

Where this error sits

Origin: Build & delivery. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):

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