reuse lint missing SPDX-License-Identifier tag in CI
reuse lint found files that carry an SPDX-FileCopyrightText line but no SPDX-License-Identifier, so they land under "files without license information" and the repository is reported non-compliant.
What this error means
A file has a copyright header but the licensing list still flags it. reuse lint prints it under "files without license information" and exits 1.
The following files have no licensing information:
* docs/guide.md
Unfortunately, your project is not compliant with version 3.3 of the REUSE Specification.Common causes
The SPDX license tag is absent
The file has copyright text but is missing the SPDX-License-Identifier: line, so REUSE has no license to record for it.
The identifier is not a valid SPDX id
A misspelled or non-standard license string (not a recognized SPDX identifier) is not accepted, so the file is treated as lacking license information.
How to fix it
Add a valid SPDX-License-Identifier
- Add the tag with the exact SPDX identifier for the license.
- Ensure the matching license text exists under LICENSES/.
- Re-run reuse lint to confirm the file is now compliant.
<!--
SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Example Corp
SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0
-->Verify the identifier against the SPDX list
Use the canonical SPDX identifier (case-sensitive) so REUSE recognizes it and can match a LICENSES/ file.
reuse download CC-BY-4.0
reuse lintHow to prevent it
- Template both SPDX lines together so copyright never ships without a license.
- Validate identifiers against the SPDX license list.
- Gate merges on reuse lint so gaps are caught at PR time.