---
name: Registry-ts_get_started
title: Troubleshooting getting started with Container Registry permissions
description: You're following the getting started instructions for Container Registry but none of the registry commands work because you lack the required IAM permission.
last-updated: 2026-08-11
---

> ## 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 getting started with Container Registry permissions
{: #troubleshoot-get-started}
{: troubleshoot}
{: support}

You're following the getting started instructions for Container Registry but none of the registry commands work because you lack the required IAM permission.
{: shortdesc}

You can't run any commands in Container Registry because you don't have permission.
{: tsSymptoms}

The [getting started instructions](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-getting-started&format=markdown) assume that you are in your own account with permission to do everything. If you are a member of an account that is owned and administered by someone else, you might not have the correct permissions to configure and operate the registry service.
{: tsCauses}

Ask your administrator to add you to an existing access policy, or create an access policy that gives you the correct [service access role](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-iam&interface=ui&format=markdown#service_access_roles) for working with Container Registry. For more information, see [Managing IAM access for Container Registry](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-iam&interface=ui&format=markdown) and [Defining IAM access policies for Container Registry](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-user&format=markdown).
{: tsResolve}

If you send the following text to your administrator, it might help them to set up the correct IAM service access role permissions. Replace `<account_name>` with the name of the account that you want to access.

*I need to have the Manager service access role on `container-registry` in the account `<account_name>` so that I can manage the IBM Cloud Container Registry service. (You might need to justify this request in more detail by specifying the actions that you require regarding [service access roles](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-iam&interface=ui&format=markdown#service_access_roles)). You can grant me the Manager role with the `ibmcloud iam user-policy-create $MYUSER --roles Manager --service-name container-registry` command, but you can also use other indirect ways to grant permissions consistently, for example by using access groups and templates, according to the account policy. For more information about assigning access, see [Assigning access to Container Registry in the console](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/Registry?topic=Registry-iam&interface=ui&format=markdown#registry_iam_assign-access-console).*