GitHub Actions "Runner registration failed: 404" (wrong URL or token)

A 404 during registration means the URL/token pair did not resolve a valid registration target - wrong owner/repo, wrong scope, or an expired/incorrect registration token.

What this error means

config.sh fails with a 404 when registering a self-hosted runner.

Error: Runner registration failed.
Http response code: NotFound from 'POST https://api.github.com/actions/runner-registration'
Response status code does not indicate success: 404 (Not Found).

Common causes

Wrong --url

The URL points at a repo/org that does not exist or that you lack access to.

Invalid or expired token

Registration tokens are short-lived; a stale or wrong-scope token returns 404/401.

How to fix it

Use the correct URL and a fresh token

1. Generate a new registration token from Settings > Actions > Runners > New self-hosted runner.
2. Pass the exact --url shown there (repo vs org scope matters).
3. Re-run config.sh.

How to prevent it

• Always copy the URL and token from the Add runner page for the correct scope.
• Generate a fresh token per registration; they expire quickly.

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