Pulumi CLI Exit Codes
The Pulumi CLI returns numeric exit codes that indicate the result of a command. Scripts, CI/CD systems, and tools can use these codes to distinguish between different kinds of failures.
The global CLI exit code mapping described here was introduced in Pulumi CLI v3.226.1. Earlier versions may behave differently and do not guarantee the same mapping.
This page explains how Pulumi exit codes work and how to consume them safely in automation. A zero exit code means the operation was successful, and any other code means failure.
Error Categories
The exact non-zero value of a failing exit code gives us some information about what went wrong.
| Category | Exit code | When it occurs |
|---|---|---|
| Success | 0 | The command completed successfully. |
| Generic error | 1 | A failure occurred that does not fit a more specific category. |
| Configuration and validation error | 2 | The CLI cannot run or complete the command because of invalid or missing arguments, configuration, or schema validation, or because required confirmation flags (such as --yes) are not provided in non-interactive mode. |
| Authentication or authorization error | 3 | The CLI cannot authenticate or is not authorized to perform the requested operation, for example when login is required, credentials are missing, or access is forbidden. |
| Resource or deployment error | 4 | A resource operation fails during deployment, preview, refresh, destroy, or import. This includes errors returned by resource providers and underlying cloud platforms. |
| Policy failure | 5 | A policy pack or organization policy blocks the operation even though the program and providers succeeded. |
| Stack not found | 6 | The requested stack does not exist, cannot be found, or no stack is selected. |
| No changes | 7 | An expectation about changes is not met, such as when --expect-no-changes is used but changes are detected. |
| Canceled run | 8 | The operation is canceled before completion, for example due to pulumi cancel, a user interrupt (such as Ctrl+C), or cancellation initiated through the Automation API. |
| Timeout | 9 | The operation fails because it does not complete within an expected time window. |
| Internal CLI error | 255 | An unexpected internal condition occurs inside the Pulumi CLI itself that does not fit another category. |
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