Community Cloud app fails at clone stage for public repo (repeated “Failed to download sources”)

Deployment
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1

Hi everyone — I’m stuck on a Community Cloud deploy issue and would appreciate help.

Problem

My app never gets past repo clone. Logs show:

  • Starting up repository…

  • Cloning repository…

  • Failed (repeats)

  • Failed to download the sources for repository…

This happens before dependency install or app startup.

Current config

  • Repo: moeinis/bsf-emotion-dashboard

  • Branch: main

  • Main file: app.py

  • App URL: https://bsf-emotion-dashboard.streamlit.app/

What I already checked

Extra context

I also deleted one app while troubleshooting and recreated it, but clone failure persists:
https://bsf-emotion-dash-scam.streamlit.app/

Ask

Has anyone seen persistent clone-stage failures like this across app instances?
Could this be a backend provisioning/integration issue, and is there a known workaround while waiting for support?

Thanks!

2

Welcome to the Streamlit community, and thanks for the detailed info and troubleshooting steps! :rocket: This persistent “Failed to download the sources for repository” error—where the app never gets past the cloning stage—has been reported by several users, even when the repo and branch are correct and accessible. Common causes include temporary backend issues, expired or missing deploy keys, GitHub integration hiccups, or Git LFS/bandwidth limits. Rebooting, redeploying, and reconnecting GitHub are the right first steps, but sometimes the issue is on the Streamlit backend and resolves only after a platform fix or intervention.

If you’ve already tried all the above, the best next step is to delete the app and redeploy, ensuring the repo is public and that no GitHub deploy keys are missing or invalid. If the problem persists across new deployments and other users are not reporting a widespread outage, it’s likely a backend or integration issue that only Streamlit support can resolve. You can submit a support case as described in the official docs, and rest assured you’re not alone—others have faced similar issues and found that the problem sometimes resolves itself after a backend update or support intervention. For more, see Streamlit Community Cloud deployment troubleshooting, official deployment docs, and how to submit a support case.

Sources: