dev@local: ~/project — git
dev@local~/project$git status
Cloning into 'libs/shared-module'...
fatal: fatal clone of submodule failed
Diagnostics Translation
Git successfully cloned the main repository but failed to download a required submodule.
waiting for resolution...
MediumVersion Control System

Reviewed for reference consistency: April 11, 2026

Code is Safe

SECURE

Git has paused the operation to protect your code. No data has been lost or corrupted.

What To Know

This means the parent clone progressed, but a nested repository required by the project could not be fetched successfully.

Where Did It Fail?

Working Tree
Your local files
add
Staging Index
Prepared changes
commit
Local Repo
Commit history
push/fetch
Remote Server
GitHub/GitLab
The error involves the internal Git database or commit history structure.

Commands That Trigger This

$Cloning an open-source project that accidentally links to a private internal submodule
Cloning an open-source project that accidentally links to a private internal submodule
$git@
Cloning a project where the submodule URL uses SSH () but you don't have SSH keys configured

Technical Background

01

This is actually a network or permission error happening one layer deep.

02

The parent repository is usually cloned successfully, leaving the main project present while the nested dependency remains unavailable until the submodule access issue is cleared.

Underlying Causes

The submodule points to a private repository you don't have access to
The submodule URL in `.gitmodules` is outdated or misspelled
Network timeout while downloading massive submodule dependencies

Frequently Asked Questions

Usually no. It usually means the parent project arrived while one nested dependency did not, leaving the repository incomplete rather than totally absent.

Related Git States

permission-denied-publickeyMedium

The remote server rejected your SSH connection because it did not recognize your SSH key.

no-submodule-mapping-found-in-gitmodulesMedium

Git found a submodule reference without a matching configuration entry.

submodule-repository-existsLow

Git cannot add a submodule because a Git repository already occupies that path.