Title: Troubleshooting 404 Errors in Decap CMS Local Proxy When Accessing Private GitHub Repositories

Introduction

Decap CMS (formerly Netlify CMS) is a popular open-source content management system that provides a user-friendly interface for managing website content. When configuring Decap CMS to work with private GitHub repositories via a local proxy backend, developers may encounter unexpected errors, particularly HTTP 404 Not Found responses from the GitHub API. This article explores common causes for such issues, focusing on authenticating correctly with private repositories and ensuring proper API endpoint configurations.

Understanding the Problem

Many users setting up Decap CMS with a custom proxy backend experience failures when attempting to publish or fetch content from a private GitHub repository. Despite verifying that the repository and folder exist and that the Personal Access Token (PAT) has all necessary permissions, the GitHub API returns a 404 error for certain requests—especially when listing folder contents or saving entries.

Sample error logs typically look like this:

GitHub Response Status: 404
Message: "Not Found"

And requests to URLs such as:

• https://api.github.com/repos/username/private-repo/contents/assets/uploads?ref=main
• https://api.github.com/repos/username/private-repo/contents/news/entry.md

fail despite correct repository paths and an authenticated token.

Common Causes and Solutions

1. Incorrect API Endpoint for Private Repositories

The GitHub API’s /contents/ endpoint can return a 404 if the requested resource does not exist. However, if the resource exists and you’re still receiving 404, the issue may be with the request URL or branch specification.

Solution: Double-check that the URL path accurately reflects the structure of your repository and that the branch (ref) is correct. Remember that the branch name is case-sensitive.

1. Missing or Incorrect Authentication

Even with a seemingly valid PAT, authentication issues can cause 404 responses if the API treats the request as unauthorized or inaccessible.

Key Points:

• Ensure the PAT has the necessary permissions, including repo scope for private repositories.
• Use the correct Authorization header format:
  • Authorization: token YOUR_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN or
  • Authorization: Bearer YOUR_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN.
• Confirm that the token is loaded correctly in your proxy server’s environment.

Troubleshooting Steps:

• Log the token