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"Step is empty, null, or missing." on shared pipeline

alexander_haubner
March 12, 2026

Hi,

So I followed this article: https://support.atlassian.com/bitbucket-cloud/docs/share-pipelines-configurations/ and also checked out this question https://community.atlassian.com/forums/Bitbucket-questions/Shared-Pipeline-error/qaq-p/2970688

I basically have a repository called `shared-pipelines` with a file `shared-pipelines.yml`. The content is

export: true
definitions:
  pipelines:
    share-pipeline-2:
      - step:
          name: "hello world"
          script:
            - echo hello
in my project I have this file
definitions:
  imports:
    shared-pipelines-custom: shared-pipelines:master:.bitbucket/shared-pipelines.yml

pipelines:
  branches:
    'my-feature-branch':
      - import: share-pipeline-2@shared-pipelines-custom

The pipeline is running on push but always fails with "Step is empty, null, or missing.". I have premium bitbucket and indentation also looks good to me
Does someone has an idea?

2 answers

1 accepted

1 vote
Answer accepted
alexander_haubner
March 16, 2026

Issue was that apparently the documentation is wrong. 

https://support.atlassian.com/bitbucket-cloud/docs/share-pipelines-configurations/ states you should use

shared-pipelines-custom: shared-pipelines:master:.bitbucket/shared-pipelines.yml

 

 for custom custom names. Apparently 

shared-pipelines-custom: shared-pipelines:master:shared-pipelines.yml

is correct

0 votes
Aron Gombas _Midori_
Community Champion
March 13, 2026

My tips:

  1. Verify the branch name in your import, as newer repositories default to "main" instead of "master"!
  2. Double-check the indentation in both files. If tabs are mixed with spaces, it can lead to crazy errors in YAML.
alexander_haubner
March 16, 2026

Fund it out. The documentation is simply wrong.

using

shared-pipelines:master:shared-pipelines.yml

instead of  

shared-pipelines:master:.bitbucket/shared-pipelines.yml

makes it work.

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