Actions dispatch returns HTTP 422 disabled while permissions API says enabled

[2217173240]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Other

Discussion Details

Discussion type

Question / possible bug in GitHub Actions repository or account state.

Repository and impact

Public repository: https://github.com/2217173240/grok-bot-0.18-reconstructed

I have administrator permission. Workflow dispatch is rejected as disabled even though the repository permissions API reports Actions enabled and the workflows are active. This blocks required PR checks and CodeQL initialization.

Reproduced on October 10, 2026 (Asia/Singapore), including immediately before posting this discussion.

Reproduction and exact results

1. Run:

gh api repos/2217173240/grok-bot-0.18-reconstructed/actions/permissions

Result:

{"enabled":true,"allowed_actions":"all","sha_pinning_required":false}

2. List repository workflows. Existing workflows report state: active, including repository checks (ID 357736368), Linux amd64 runtime, macOS arm64 package, and Windows portable package.

3. Dispatch the existing workflow on the pushed branch:

gh workflow run check.yml --repo 2217173240/grok-bot-0.18-reconstructed --ref security/repository-settings

Result:

could not create workflow dispatch event: HTTP 422: Actions has been disabled for this repository. (https://api.github.com/repos/2217173240/grok-bot-0.18-reconstructed/actions/workflows/357736368/dispatches)

4. Re-applying repository Actions permissions with enabled=true and allowed_actions=all succeeds. Reading permissions again confirms enabled=true, but dispatching again produces the same HTTP 422.

Related security initialization

CodeQL default setup initialization is queued with no jobs:
https://github.com/2217173240/grok-bot-0.18-reconstructed/actions/runs/38024328571

The default-setup API reports state=configured, languages=[], query_suite=extended, threat_model=remote, updated_at=null, and schedule=null. A configuration update returns HTTP 409, Configuration update already in progress.

The affected PR is 2217173240/grok-bot-0.18-reconstructed#116. It has not been merged by bypassing its required checks.

Expected behavior

An enabled repository with active workflows should accept workflow_dispatch; required PR checks should run; CodeQL initialization should complete or provide an actionable failure.

Support outcome and question

GitHub Support ticket #4842637 was submitted with these details and then closed because the support options available to this account are self-service resources. Support directed me to Community Discussions.

Is there a separate account-level Actions restriction or backend disabled state that is not represented by the repository permissions API? How can the repository owner identify and resolve it, or have the appropriate GitHub team investigate? Please also advise how to recover the pending CodeQL initialization after Actions execution is restored.

I am reporting observed API behavior, not asserting a cause. No authentication tokens, private account information, or sensitive logs are included.

Resubmitted through the required Actions web template after the CLI-created discussion #209967 was closed for submission format: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/209967

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[mohittguptaa]

That combination — permissions API says enabled: true, but dispatch returns 422 "Actions has been disabled for this repository" and CodeQL sits queued with no jobs — usually means Actions was disabled by GitHub, not by a repo setting.

The actions/permissions endpoint only reflects the owner-controlled setting. A platform-side restriction (Trust & Safety / abuse automation, often triggered on new repos or on repos whose content resembles redistributed proprietary code) sits on top of it, which is why re-applying enabled=true succeeds but changes nothing.

How to confirm:

• Open the repo's Actions tab in the browser — a platform-disabled repo normally shows a banner saying Actions has been disabled.
• Try dispatching a minimal workflow in a different, new repo on the same account. If that works, the restriction is repo-specific; if it also fails, it's account-level (also check Settings → Billing for a spending-limit block).

How to fix: there's no API/settings change that can lift it. Open a ticket at https://support.github.com and choose the account / repository restriction category (not general Actions troubleshooting), include the 422 message and the dispatch URL. That category routes to the team that can actually review and re-enable it.

[2217173240]

Thank you for the explanation. I checked another existing repository on the same account, without creating a new repository: ARTEX Actions are completing successfully, for example https://github.com/2217173240/ARTEX/actions/runs/38035506210 . The Grok repository still reports Actions enabled while its new runs remain queued. This appears more consistent with a repository-specific restriction than an account-wide Actions disablement, although it does not establish the cause.

GitHub's documentation also describes a separate GitHub-controlled disabled state: https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/enabling-features-for-your-repository/managing-github-actions-settings-for-a-repository .

My earlier ticket #4842637 used the repository access issue category and was closed with a self-service-support response. Is there a specific account/repository restriction review form or category available to a personal public-repository owner that would route this case to the appropriate team? I would appreciate the correct route for review. I have no evidence identifying why the repository is restricted and am not assuming a content-related cause.