Atlas CLI Failure Scenarios

Parent: Atlas CLI · Published reference · snapshot 2026-10-15 · viability 2.65 / 5 (skip)

Depth-first rabbithole dossier for Atlas CLI Failure Scenarios; source-anchored research pack.

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How it works

[low] The stable version of the Atlas CLI Homebrew formula is 1.59.2. It depends on mongosh 2.13.0 and, when building from source, go 1.27.2. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mongodb-atlas-cli [source]
[low] A bug where telemetry tracking events were not propagated when a default profile was not set has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] A bug that occurred when providing only the private API key or only the public API key has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] A bug where `atlas deployments connect` failed on Windows when connecting using MongoDB Compass has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] The `atlas plugin update` command was fixed to respect the original install location when `ATLAS_CLI_EXTRA_PLUGIN_DIRECTORY` is set. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] The Atlas CLI package conflicts with `atlas` and `nim` packages because both install the `atlas` executable. Sources: https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mongodb-atlas-cli [source]
[low] The CLI should automatically use the refresh token to obtain a new access token without user intervention, but the OAuth refresh flow is non-functional in this bug, requiring manual re-authentication. Sources: https://github.com/mongodb/mongodb-atlas-cli/issues/4283 [source]
[low] A fix was released on the API side so that both `atlas cluster list` and `atlas api clusters listClusters` work as expected in all versions. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://github.com/mongodb/mongodb-atlas-cli/issues/4472 [source]

Problems, failure modes and limitations

[low] During the segmentation fault failure in Atlas CLI 1.50.0, the refresh token remains intact in the keychain. Sources: https://github.com/mongodb/mongodb-atlas-cli/issues/4283 [source]
[low] Running an `atlas deployments` command inside the official `mongodb/atlas` Docker container version 1.26 or later results in an error. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/troubleshooting.md [source]
[low] A `401` error occurs if the Atlas CLI cannot find the configuration file and credentials are not stored in environment variables. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/troubleshooting.md [source]
[low] Some migrated profiles can cause Atlas CLI commands to fail when authenticating with `atlas auth login`. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/connect-atlas-cli.md [source]
[low] If a profile migrated from MongoCLI conflicts with `atlas auth login`, the CLI prints "There was an error fetching your organizations: Global user is from outside access listed subnets." The fix is to remove the default profile from the configuration file and log in again. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/connect-atlas-cli.md [source]
[low] A bug in the `atlas metrics processes` command caused an error when using the `--type` filter, which has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] Running `atlas clusters start` or `pause` in default `clusterWideScaling` mode with any Atlas CLI version, including v1.53.0, uses the deprecated 2023-02-01 API version, resulting in an HTTP 410 Gone error. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://github.com/mongodb/mongodb-atlas-cli/issues/4472 [source]
[low] Atlas uses the Token Bucket Algorithm to limit requests, adding tokens at a fixed `refillRate` every `refillDurationSeconds` up to a `capacity` that defines the maximum burst size. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] Rate limits are not part of the API contract and may change without prior notice. Contact MongoDB support if you require higher rate limits. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] Atlas uses rate limiting to control request rates to V2 API endpoints to prevent overload, with each endpoint associated with an endpoint set and scope (organization, project, user, or IP) that defines its limits. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] Rate limits vary by endpoint set and scope, meaning Atlas does not apply a uniform API limit across all requests made by an organization or project. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] Atlas allows requests only if tokens are available, with each request consuming one token; if the bucket is empty, the API returns a 429 Too Many Requests status code. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] API response headers provide real-time visibility into rate limit quotas, current usage, and reset times, though Atlas may not always return these headers, so clients must handle their absence gracefully. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] When the rate limit is reached, the Atlas Administration API returns a 429 Too Many Requests status code. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] To handle rate limiting, wait at least the time specified by the `Retry-After` header before retrying, but note that other clients may deplete the bucket again, causing continued rate limiting. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] If a retry fails, wait for a significantly longer period using exponential backoff with jitter, such as waiting 10 seconds before the first retry, 20 seconds before the second, and 40 seconds before the third. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] You can calculate when the token bucket might reach full capacity again assuming no other requests consume tokens during that time. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] Contact MongoDB support if you require higher rate limits than the defaults. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-rate-limit.md [source]
[low] For project-scoped resources, the service account or API keys used to authenticate must be a member of the organization that hosts the project. Otherwise, Atlas responds with a 401 error. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api/api-authentication.md [source]
[low] A user resolved the `atlas-local-plugin` installation failure by granting their GitHub token access to the MongoDB organization, despite using a public version from Homebrew. Sources: https://github.com/mongodb/mongodb-atlas-cli/issues/4623 [source]
[low] The `atlas clusters list` command may fail with an API version error, but `atlas api clusters listClusters --version 2024-08-05` works as a workaround. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://github.com/mongodb/mongodb-atlas-cli/issues/4472 [source]
[low] The error message "session expired, try login, run atlas auth login" appears when the session expires, with a default duration of 12 hours that is not configurable. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/community/forums/t/session-expiration-issue-when-using-atlas-auth-login-for-manual-monitoring/315253 [source]

Comparisons and alternatives

[low] The `atlas liveMigrations cutover` command was fixed to pass the `projectId` instead of the `orgId`. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]

Facts and statements

[low] To use the Atlas CLI on MacOS or Windows, install Docker Desktop v4.31+; for Linux, install Docker Engine v27.0+. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/troubleshooting.md [source]
[low] The `--backup` argument is unavailable for Atlas clusters smaller than the `M10` tier. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/troubleshooting.md [source]
[low] Creating new projects requires the user account or API key to have the `Organization Project Creator` role at the organization level. Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/troubleshooting.md [source]
[low] In Atlas CLI versions before 1.47, API keys are stored in plaintext in the configuration file. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/connect-atlas-cli.md [source]
[low] An issue where the `atlas performanceAdvisor suggestedIndexes list` command did not accept certain inputs has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] A bug where some options were not validated on the `atlas backups restores` job start command has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] A bug preventing the filtering of organizations or projects by name during onboarding has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] A bug in the `atlas clusters onlineArchives create` command where validation prevented using three specific options has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] A bug where the `atlas customDbRoles create` command failed if more than one privilege with the same action was provided has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] An issue where the Atlas CLI did not apply the correct default MongoDB version for cluster creation has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] An issue where exporting a cluster to Atlas Kubernetes Operator YAML did not exclude read-only fields for shared tenant deployments has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] A bug where the `--mongoDbVersion` flag was ignored for the `atlas deployments setup` command with type `atlas` has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] A bug where `atlas clusters update` and `atlas-serverless-update` commands ignored the `--tag` flag has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] An issue with the `atlas kubernetes config generate` command has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] Incorrect example flags in the `atlas metrics processes` documentation have been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] The documentation URLs for the `atlas networking peering` command have been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] An issue where the Atlas CLI did not sign Windows binaries has been fixed. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-changelog.md [source]
[low] In Atlas CLI version 1.50.0 on macOS (Silicon), the CLI crashes with a segmentation fault if the access token is missing but a valid refresh token exists, preventing all authenticated commands. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://github.com/mongodb/mongodb-atlas-cli/issues/4283 [source]
[low] Adding the `--autoScalingMode independentShardScaling` flag to workflow templates switches the CLI to use the 2024-08-05 API version internally, though it does not change the cluster's actual auto-scaling configuration. (verified as of 2026-10-15) Sources: https://github.com/mongodb/mongodb-atlas-cli/issues/4472 [source]
[low] Intermittent HTTP 503 errors affecting Atlas control plane operations via the Admin API and Terraform may occur, but database connectivity remains healthy, and customers should retry failed operations with backoff. Sources: https://status.mongodb.com/incidents/gch8hbs1yfz5 [source]

Related concepts

Atlas — is a part of Atlas CLI Failure Scenarios
CLI — is a part of Atlas CLI Failure Scenarios
Failure — is a part of Atlas CLI Failure Scenarios

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