---
name: Registry-ts_add_namespace
title: Troubleshooting namespace creation in IBM Cloud registry
description: Setting up a namespace fails in IBM Cloud® Container Registry.
last-updated: 2026-08-04
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Troubleshooting namespace creation in IBM Cloud registry
{: #troubleshoot-add-namespace}
{: troubleshoot}
{: support}

Setting up a namespace fails in IBM Cloud® Container Registry.
{: shortdesc}

When you run `ibmcloud cr namespace-add`, you are unable to set your entered value as the namespace.
{: tsSymptoms}

The following alternatives are possible causes:
{: tsCauses}

- **Scenario A.** You used invalid characters in the namespace value.
- **Scenario B.** You entered a namespace value that is already being used by another IBM Cloud organization.
- **Scenario C.** A namespace was recently deleted and you're reusing its name. If the namespace that was deleted contained many resources, the deletion might not yet be fully processed by Container Registry.
- **Scenario D.** You might not have the correct permissions for creating a namespace.
- **Scenario E.** Your request could not be completed because it is forbidden to create an IBM Cloud Container Registry instance in your account.

You can fix these problems in the following ways:
{: tsResolve}

Follow any instructions that are in the returned error message. If that is not successful, or no instructions are provided, try the following options:

- **Scenario A.** Check that you entered a valid namespace:
    - Your namespace must be unique across all IBM Cloud accounts in the same region.
    - Your namespace must be 4 - 30 characters long.
    - Your namespace must start and end with a letter or number.
    - Your namespace must contain lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens (-), and underscores (_) only.
- **Scenario B.** Choose a different value for your namespace.
- **Scenario C.** If you're re-creating a namespace that was deleted, and it contained many images, try again later.
- **Scenario D.** - Ensure that you have the Manager role in the Container Registry service at the account level for adding, assigning, and removing namespaces. See [Why aren't I authorized to access a specified resource in Container Registry?](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-troubleshoot-namespace-auth&format=markdown) for assistance.
- **Scenario E.** You must ensure that Container Registry is allowed when a namespace is being created. See [Why am I forbidden to create a Container Registry instance in my account?](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-troubleshoot-create-namespace&format=markdown) for assistance.

For more information about namespaces, see [Planning namespaces](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-registry_setup_cli_namespace&format=markdown#registry_setup_cli_namespace_plan).