Pages deploy fails "Deployment failed, try again later" for 3+ days (build succeeds)

[alexandregrillault]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Pages

Body

What I'm trying to do: publish my static GitHub Pages site.

What happens: since Friday (~3 days), every deployment fails. The "pages build and deployment" workflow builds successfully every time (the build job passes and the github-pages artifact is produced), but the deploy job consistently fails with the generic error: "Deployment failed, try again later."

Details

• Repository: alexandregrillault/glrimmobilier (public)
• • Site: https://alexandregrillault.github.io/glrimmobilier/
• • Publishing source: Deploy from a branch — main / (root)
• • Last successful deployment: ~3 days ago; every deployment since fails at the deploy step.
• • Latest failing run: #129 — build OK, deploy failed ("Deployment failed, try again later").
• • Two earlier runs (#126 and #128) have been stuck in "Queued" for 3 days and cannot be cancelled ("Failed to cancel workflow").
    Already tried, no change
• Verified the github-pages environment protection rules: Required reviewers OFF, Wait timer OFF; deployment-branch rule allows main.
• • Toggled the Pages source to "GitHub Actions" and back to "Deploy from a branch".
• • Added a .nojekyll file and pushed a fresh commit to main (this triggered run #129, which built fine but the deploy step still failed).
• • GitHub Actions works fine on my other repository, so runners are available for my account.
    The build succeeds and the artifact is created — it's purely the Pages deploy/publish step that fails. Has anyone else seen "Deployment failed, try again later" persist for days on a single site, and how did you get it unstuck? Thanks!

[github-actions[bot]]

💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users.

Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩

• Your input will be carefully reviewed and cataloged by members of our product teams. 
  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual responses.
  • Rest assured, your feedback will help chart our course for product improvements.
• Other users may engage with your post, sharing their own perspectives or experiences. 
• GitHub staff may reach out for further clarification or insight. 
  • We may 'Answer' your discussion if there is a current solution, workaround, or roadmap/changelog post related to the feedback.

Where to look to see what's shipping 👀

• Read the Changelog for real-time updates on the latest GitHub features, enhancements, and calls for feedback.
• Explore our Product Roadmap, which details upcoming major releases and initiatives.

What you can do in the meantime 💻

• Upvote and comment on other user feedback Discussions that resonate with you.
• Add more information at any point! Useful details include: use cases, relevant labels, desired outcomes, and any accompanying screenshots.

As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities.

Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐

[jasonmiller2332]

Since your build completes successfully and only the deployment step fails, it doesn't sound like a workflow configuration issue. The stuck queued runs also suggest the Pages deployment may be locked on GitHub's side. I'd check the Deployments tab for any pending deployments, and if nothing helps, open a GitHub Support ticket with the run IDs—they may need to clear a stuck deployment.

[alexandregrillault]

Thanks @jasonmiller2332! I checked the Deployments tab as you suggested — there are no pending/in-progress deployments to clear; every deployment is either "Deployed" or "Failed". The last successful one is #124 (3 days ago), and everything since fails at the deploy step with "Deployment failed, try again later".

Interestingly, the deployment currently marked "Active" is #129, which itself failed — so GitHub is still serving the last good build (#124), which is why the site shows old content.

So it does look like a stuck deployment on GitHub's side that only Support can clear. I've opened a support ticket with the run IDs (#126, #128, #129). Thanks for confirming the direction!

[Syaptiyan]

I had a similar issue with GitHub Pages deployment. Here are some things that worked for me:

1. Check the Deployments tab - Go to your repo > Settings > Pages and see if there are any stuck deployments
2. Try switching source - If you are using GitHub Actions, try switching to Deploy from a branch or vice versa
3. Empty commit trigger - Push an empty commit to force a new deployment
4. Check Actions workflow - Make sure the workflow file is correct and the permissions are set properly
5. Re-enable Pages - Disable GitHub Pages, wait a minute, then re-enable it

If none of these work, the issue might be on GitHub side. Open a support ticket with the failed run IDs.

[alexandregrillault]

✅ Resolved — thank you @jasonmiller2332 and @Syaptiyan for the help!

What fixed it was @Syaptiyan's suggestion #5: fully disabling and re-enabling GitHub Pages. The exact steps that worked for me:

1. Settings > Pages > Unpublish site
2. 2. Set the source Branch to "None" and Save (this fully disables Pages)
3. 3. Wait ~1 minute
4. 4. Set the Branch back to "main" / "(root)" and Save to re-enable
      This forced GitHub to recreate the Pages resource and cleared the stuck deployment state. The very next run (build + deploy) went green in ~20s after 3 days of "Deployment failed, try again later", and the new version is now live.

For anyone hitting the same thing: the build succeeding while only "deploy" fails, plus queued runs you can't cancel, points to a stuck backend deployment. The disable/re-enable reset is what unblocked it. Thanks again! 🙏

[Slewingtons]

I was having the exact same issue with my page, and this worked for me as well. Thank you for posting the exact steps to resolve it.