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Troubleshoot the CLI

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Common errors when installing or using the GoDaddy CLI (gddy), with causes and resolutions.

Overview

This page covers errors you may encounter when installing, authenticating, or using the gddy CLI. If you're setting up for the first time, go to Set up the CLI for the installation guide. If a command itself is throwing an error, check the CLI reference to confirm you're using the right flags.

command not found: gddy

Symptom: Running gddy returns "command not found" or "not recognized" after installation.

Cause: Your PATH does not include the directory where the CLI was installed.

Resolution:

  • Windows: install.ps1 adds the install directory to your user PATH automatically, but only new terminal sessions pick up the change — open a new terminal and try again.
  • macOS/Linux: install.sh does not modify your PATH. Add the bin directory manually, then add the same line to your shell profile (e.g. ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc) to persist it:
    export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
  • Verify the binary exists: ls ~/.local/bin/gddy (macOS/Linux) or check %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\gddy\ (Windows).
  • Re-run the installer if the binary doesn't exist.

gddy auth login opens a browser but nothing happens

Symptom: The CLI opens a browser tab for OAuth login, but the redirect fails or hangs.

Cause: The browser can't complete the OAuth redirect back to the CLI's local listener.

Resolution:

  • Make sure you're not in a headless/SSH environment without browser access.
  • If the browser opened but the page failed to load, copy the URL from the terminal output and paste it manually.
  • If behind a corporate proxy, the redirect URL (localhost) may be intercepted — check with your network team.
  • Try a different browser if the default one has strict security extensions blocking localhost redirects.

gddy domain suggest returns an authentication error

Symptom: Running domain commands returns an auth-related error.

Cause: Authentication hasn't been configured, or the saved token has expired.

Resolution:

  • Run gddy auth status to check whether you're authenticated and which environment you're targeting.
  • If expired or not authenticated, run gddy auth login to re-authenticate.
  • If targeting the wrong environment, use gddy auth login --env prod (or --env ote) to specify.

Installer fails with a permission error

Symptom: The install script exits with "Permission denied" or similar.

Cause: The script can't write to the target directory, or macOS Gatekeeper is blocking the binary.

Resolution:

  • The installer defaults to ~/.local/bin (macOS/Linux) or %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\gddy (Windows) — both are user-writable, so this shouldn't come up on a default install.
  • On macOS: if you see "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified," go to System Preferences → Security & Privacy → General and click "Allow Anyway."
  • On Linux: if you passed a --prefix pointing at a directory you don't own (e.g. /usr/local/bin), the installer falls back to sudo automatically.
  • On Windows PowerShell: if the execution policy blocks running the remote script via iex, run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process Bypass for the session, or download install.ps1 and inspect it before running.

CLI commands work but return different results than curl

Symptom: The CLI returns different data or errors compared to the same operation via curl.

Cause: The CLI might be using different credentials than your curl commands.

Resolution:

  • Check your current environment: gddy auth status
  • If targeting the wrong environment, re-authenticate against the correct one.
  • Compare the base URL: CLI uses the environment from its auth config, while curl hits whatever URL you specify directly.

Platform commands (gddy platform)

deploy fails because no release exists

Symptom: gddy platform app deploy fails with an error indicating no release is available.

Cause: deploy uploads into the latest existing release. If no release has been cut, it has nothing to deploy into.

Resolution:

  1. Get the application ID: gddy platform app info --name <APPLICATION_NAME>
  2. Cut a release: gddy platform app release --application-id <APPLICATION_ID> --version <SEMANTIC_VERSION>
  3. Then run deploy again.

deploy hangs after all steps succeed

Symptom: gddy platform app deploy runs silently with no spinner or step output, then hangs indefinitely. Pressing Ctrl+C causes buffered output to dump, showing completed steps. Re-running with --debug --output json shows three 200 responses (ApplicationWithLatestRelease, activateRelease, updateApplication) and then the process still doesn't exit.

Cause: Known issue (DEVX-915). The deploy process does not exit after receiving all final 200 responses from the App Registry.

Resolution:

  1. Re-run with --debug --output json to see HTTP responses as they arrive:
    gddy platform app deploy --name <APPLICATION_NAME> --debug --output json
  2. After you see responses for ApplicationWithLatestRelease, activateRelease, and updateApplication, press Ctrl+C. The app is already ACTIVE.
  3. Confirm: gddy platform app info --name <APPLICATION_NAME>

deploy succeeded but the app isn't live

Symptom: deploy returns success but the application isn't visible in App Center.

Cause: The application doesn't have a marketplace listing. Both release and deploy succeed without one and neither command warns you.

Resolution:

  • Open the application in the Apps Dashboard and complete the listing. A listing requires a description, privacy policy URL, terms and conditions URL, at least one category, at least one industry, an app icon, and at least four screenshots.

Manifest edits had no effect after deploy

Symptom: Changes made to godaddy.toml aren't reflected in the deployed application.

Cause: Two likely causes:

  • You edited the manifest after cutting the release — release snapshots it, so edits after that point don't take effect until you cut a new release.
  • You're editing the wrong file — gddy env get tells you which environment is active, which determines which manifest file commands read (godaddy.toml vs godaddy.<env>.toml).

Resolution:

  1. Run gddy env get to confirm which environment is active.
  2. Verify you're editing the correct manifest for that environment.
  3. Cut a new release to snapshot your updated manifest: gddy platform app release --application-id <APPLICATION_ID> --version <SEMANTIC_VERSION>
  4. Deploy again.

A command can't find my application

Symptom: gddy platform app info, deploy, or other commands report the application doesn't exist.

Cause: Applications are scoped to the environment they were created in. An app created in ote doesn't exist in prod and vice versa.

Resolution:

  • Check the active environment: gddy env get
  • List applications in the current environment: gddy platform app list
  • Switch environments if needed: gddy env set <ENVIRONMENT>

Agent & Automation Notes

ScopesN/A — CLI handles auth internally
Rate limitN/A (diagnostic reference)
On failureDiagnostic page. For PATH issues, open a new terminal. For auth issues, run 'gddy auth login'. For permission errors, check OS security settings. CLI targets one environment at a time — verify with 'gddy auth status'.

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