This is a general error message that is returned by Gerrit if a push is not allowed, e.g. because the pushing user has no sufficient privileges.

In particular this error occurs:

  1. if you push a commit for code review to a branch for which you don’t have upload permissions (access right 'Push' on refs/for/refs/heads/*)

  2. if you bypass code review without 'Push' access right on refs/heads/*

  3. if you bypass code review pushing to a non-existing branch without 'Create Reference' access right on refs/heads/*

  4. if you push an annotated tag without 'Push Annotated Tag' access right on refs/tags/*

  5. if you push a signed tag without 'Push Signed Tag' access right on refs/tags/*

  6. if you push a lightweight tag without the access right 'Create Reference' for the reference name refs/tags/*

  7. if you push a tag with somebody else as tagger and you don’t have the 'Forge Committer' access right for the reference name refs/tags/*

  8. if you push to a project that is in state 'Read Only'

For new users it often happens that they accidentally try to bypass code review. The push then fails with the error message 'prohibited by Gerrit' because the project didn’t allow to bypass code review. Bypassing the code review is done by pushing directly to refs/heads/* (e.g. refs/heads/master) instead of pushing to refs/for/* (e.g. refs/for/master). Details about how to push commits for code review are explained here.

Part of Gerrit Error Messages