DVC "config file error ... no such remote" in CI

DVC was asked to use a remote by name, but no remote with that name exists in .dvc/config, so it reports the config error. The name is wrong or the remote definition never reached CI.

What this error means

dvc pull -r storage or a default-remote command fails with "config file error: no remote 'storage'" while other DVC operations work.

ERROR: config file error: no remote 'storage'

Common causes

The remote name is misspelled

The -r value or default remote name does not match any ['remote "..."'] section in .dvc/config.

The remote lives only in config.local

The remote was added to the git-ignored .dvc/config.local, so CI, which only has the committed .dvc/config, does not know it.

How to fix it

List remotes and use the real name

1. Run dvc remote list to see the defined names.
2. Use the exact name, or add the missing remote to the committed config.
3. Commit .dvc/config and re-run.

dvc remote list
dvc remote add -d storage s3://my-bucket/dvcstore
git add .dvc/config

Keep the URL in committed config

Only credentials belong in .dvc/config.local; the remote definition must be in .dvc/config for CI to resolve it.

dvc remote modify --local storage access_key_id ${AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID}

How to prevent it

• Define remote URLs in the committed .dvc/config.
• Reserve .dvc/config.local for secrets only.
• Reference remotes by names verified with dvc remote list.

Related guides