Helm "failed to download" chart - Fix Repo/Chart Fetch Errors in CI

Helm could not fetch the chart from its repository. The repo was not added (or its index is stale), the chart name/version does not exist there, or the repository is unreachable or needs authentication.

What this error means

helm install/upgrade/pull fails with Error: failed to download "<repo>/<chart>" or chart "<name>" version "<x>" not found in <repo> repository. The chart reference does not resolve.

helm output

Error: failed to download "bitnami/postgresql" at version "13.2.0"
# or
Error: chart "postgresql" version "13.2.0" not found in
https://charts.example.com repository

Common causes

Repo not added or index stale

The repository was never helm repo add-ed in this job, or its local index is out of date, so Helm cannot find the chart/version.

Wrong chart name or version

A typo, or a version that does not exist (yanked, or never published) in that repo, makes the download fail.

Repo unreachable or needs auth

A private or OCI registry chart requires credentials, or the repo URL is down/blocked from the runner.

How to fix it

Add and update the repo, then verify the version

Ensure the repo is present and its index current before installing, and confirm the version exists.

Terminal

helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
helm repo update
helm search repo bitnami/postgresql --versions | head

Authenticate to private/OCI registries

For OCI charts, helm registry login <registry> before helm pull oci://....
For private HTTP repos, pass --username/--password (or pre-add with credentials).
Confirm the runner can reach the repo URL (no firewall/proxy block).

How to prevent it

Add and helm repo update (or helm registry login) before install in every job.
Pin chart versions that you have confirmed exist in the repo.
Vendor critical charts or mirror the repo to reduce external dependency.