# Context Settings - "Organization Admin Permissions Needed" - GraphQL Error

**URL:** <https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349>\
**Category:** Bug Reports\
**Created:** [July 15, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349 "2019-07-15T15:58:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KevinMartin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/kevinmartin/32/22747_2.png) [@KevinMartin](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/KevinMartin)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/1 "2019-07-15T15:58:00Z")

</div>

Hi, I’m receiving an “Organization Admin Permissions Needed” permissions error when attempting to modify my organization Context settings. I am an owner in the organization.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/original/3X/3/a/3ace64656fe4bd558a6ec7eafd6bf63d6f950538.png)

Digging in the console, I found a GraphQL request that errored.

```auto
Request URL: https://circleci.com/graphql-unstable
Request Method: POST
Status Code: 200 OK

{
  "operationName": "ContextsHmbQuery2",
  "variables": {
    "contextId": "[my-context-id]"
  },
  "query": "query ContextsHmbQuery2($contextId: ID!) {\n context(id: $contextId) {\n ...ContextHmb\n __typename\n }\n}\n\nfragment ContextHmb on ContextHmb {\n id\n name\n createdAt\n groups {\n edges {\n node {\n ...SecurityGroups\n__ typename\n }\n __typename\n }\n__ typename\n }\n resources {\n ...EnvVars\n __typename\n }\n__ typename\n}\n\nfragment EnvVars on EnvironmentVariable {\n variable\n createdAt\n truncatedValue\n __typename\n}\n\nfragment SecurityGroups on Group {\n id\n name\n__ typename\n}\n"
}

```

Error:

```auto
{"errors":[{"message":"Cannot query field `context' on type `QueryRoot'.","locations":[{"line":2,"column":3}],"extensions":{"field":"context","type":"QueryRoot"}}]}

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scheetz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/scheetz/32/24736_2.png) [@scheetz](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/scheetz)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/2 "2019-07-15T16:21:09Z")

</div>

I am getting the same error today.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![prayashm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/prayashm/32/22779_2.png) [@prayashm](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/prayashm)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/3 "2019-07-17T17:25:17Z")

</div>

I see the following in Settings \> VCS.

```auto
GraphQL error: Cannot query field `organization' on type `QueryRoot'.

```

I am a GitHub org admin.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![angelisa](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/angelisa/32/22776_2.png) [@angelisa](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/angelisa)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/4 "2019-07-17T18:35:46Z")

</div>

Hey prayashm,

Our Engineering team just deployed a fix. Can you confirm you are now able to view your VCS settings page? Thanks!

Angelisa Candler  
Support Engineer @ CircleCI

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![prayashm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/prayashm/32/22779_2.png) [@prayashm](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/prayashm)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 4:02am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/5 "2019-07-18T04:02:39Z")

</div>

@angelisa , yes it worked fine!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lbalmaceda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/lbalmaceda/32/18489_2.png) [@lbalmaceda](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/lbalmaceda)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/6 "2020-08-10T19:49:53Z")

</div>

I used to have access to the Context section and now I’m also running into this “Organization Admin Permissions Needed” error.

I’m not an “Organization Admin”, but where I work, we use Github Teams to assign different permission scopes. And I do have Admin access to the repository in question where I want to add a new context and use it.

Now I can no longer access this organization section. And there’s no alternative for team scoped contexts. I’m only left out with old contexts that I can no longer update, and with the “regular” environment variables that I need to apply on a per-project basis. This doesn’t scale. I need to use the same context on more than 20 repos.

How can I achieve this? Asking for org-wide admin permission is not possible.

According to the [docs](https://circleci.com/docs/2.0/contexts/#creating-and-using-a-context), I should be able to create/see contexts as a “non-org admin” user. However, the dashboard shows me I’m not allowed.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/original/3X/8/4/841087750ea707e10e648af0d2aea757d1d9f6a4.png)  
 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/original/3X/3/e/3ed36b1a79911babf80818daef27de4a0abeb876.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scriptcoded](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/scriptcoded/32/25574_2.png) [@scriptcoded](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/scriptcoded)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/7 "2020-09-02T19:37:13Z")

</div>

Hi,  
I seem to be having the same problem, and this is after the fix that @angelisa mentioned. Are you still having issues?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![thekatertot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/thekatertot/32/25169_2.png) [@thekatertot](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/thekatertot)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/8 "2020-09-02T22:24:46Z")

</div>

Hi @lbalmaceda! Thanks for your patience. I just came across this [Support article](https://support.circleci.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047769712-Using-and-sharing-context-with-GitHub-Nested-Teams-) and thought it might be related to your post if you’re still experiencing this problem!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![thekatertot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/thekatertot/32/25169_2.png) [@thekatertot](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/thekatertot)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 10:26pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/9 "2020-09-02T22:26:06Z")

</div>

Hi @scriptcoded! Are you using something like GitHub teams or are you an org admin?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scriptcoded](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/scriptcoded/32/25574_2.png) [@scriptcoded](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/scriptcoded)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 8:09am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/10 "2020-09-03T08:09:16Z")

</div>

Hi @thekatertot! I’m actually an org owner in GitHub. However, this morning it seems to work. Perhaps there is a window from adding the organization where things just don’t work?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![thekatertot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/thekatertot/32/25169_2.png) [@thekatertot](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/thekatertot)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/11 "2020-09-03T15:53:59Z")

</div>

I think there’s a few hours between changes in GitHub and the syncing of the API with our app. I’m glad it’s working now!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lbalmaceda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/lbalmaceda/32/18489_2.png) [@lbalmaceda](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/lbalmaceda)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 10:28pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/12 "2020-09-08T22:28:04Z")

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Thanks for the response. Looks like it got sorted out without action on my side. Probably an issue with the CircleCI dashboard/webapp.  
I can confirm I’m able to do Context CRUD operations for my organization.  
Cheers

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/original/3X/5/1/511608acda8e85906e15909b57bd0a46c1dbe291.png) [@system](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/context-settings-organization-admin-permissions-needed-graphql-error/31349/13 "2020-10-26T16:40:05Z")

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