The GitLab Runner “too large archive” error means GitLab rejected a CI job’s artifact upload with HTTP 413, Request Entity Too Large. Check the instance’s maximum artifact size first. If NGINX proxies the upload, also check its request-body limit: the effective cap depends on the configuration and request path.
What “too large archive” means
The error appears when a CI job finishes and the Runner tries to upload its artifact archive to the GitLab coordinator for storage. GitLab’s administrator troubleshooting documentation shows an example ending with too large archive and responseStatus=413 Request Entity Too Large status=413. A 413 response indicates that the request was rejected for size; it does not, by itself, identify which configuration layer imposed the limit.
GitLab documents this failure in its job artifact troubleshooting guide for administrators.
Check the two possible size limits
The relevant setting depends on how the affected GitLab instance handles the upload. Check GitLab’s artifact-size configuration, and check NGINX only if it is in the upload path.
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| Layer | What to check | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| GitLab | The configured maximum artifact size | Check this on the affected instance; GitLab identifies it as the first configuration check for this error. |
| NGINX | The request body-size limit, configured with client-max-body-size |
Check this if NGINX acts as a proxy for the upload. GitLab’s administrator documentation says the NGINX upload limit defaults to 1 MB. |
How to troubleshoot the failure
- Confirm the failing upload. Check the job log for
too large archiveand HTTP 413 at the artifact-upload stage. This indicates an upload rejection, rather than a failure to create the artifact itself. - Check GitLab’s configured maximum artifact size. Review the setting on the instance that received the upload and determine whether the archive exceeds that configured limit. Increase it only if the intended artifact size and instance policy warrant the change.
- Check whether NGINX is in the request path. If it is, review its
client-max-body-sizelimit. GitLab notes a 1 MB default for this NGINX limit; raise it as appropriate for the intended uploads. - Retry the job and inspect the upload result. If the failure persists, verify the limits and request path for the specific instance rather than assuming that one setting controls every deployment.
Why the exact cause depends on your instance
The error text alone does not establish the GitLab offering, proxy topology, or configured thresholds. The available administrator guidance identifies the GitLab artifact-size limit and, conditionally, NGINX’s request-body limit as checks; it does not say which one rejected any particular request. Diagnose against the configuration of the instance handling the upload.
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