Error protoc-gen-go-grpc: program not found or is not executable occurs in Go you try to “generate Go gRPC code using the protoc tool, but the required plugin protoc-gen-go-grpc is not installed or not in the system’s PATH.”
Diagram of error and its solution
How to fix the error?
To fix the protoc-gen-go-grpc: program not found or is not executable error in Go, install the protoc-gen-go-grpc plugin using this command: go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@latest. This command will download and install the protoc-gen-go-grpc plugin into your GOBIN or GOPATH/bin directory.
Starting in Go 1.17, installing executables with “go get” has been deprecated. That’s why I used “go install.”
After installing the plugin, follow these steps:
- Ensure that your GOBIN or GOPATH/bin directory is added to your system’s PATH environment variable. This allows the protoc compiler to find and use the protoc-gen-go-grpc plugin.
- Add the following line to your ~/.bashrc, ~/.bash_profile, or ~/.zshrc file (depending on your shell):
export PATH=$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin
- After adding this line, restart your terminal or run source ~/.bashrc, source ~/.bash_profile, or source ~/.zshrc to apply the changes.
Now the protoc compiler should be able to find and use the protoc-gen-go-grpc plugin when generating the gRPC code for Go. This is a one-stop solution, as I fixed the error myself, and it will work for you as well.
If you are using Linux, you can download the package using this command:
sudo apt install golang-goprotobuf-dev
That’s it.

Krunal Lathiya is a seasoned Computer Science expert with over eight years in the tech industry. He boasts deep knowledge in Data Science and Machine Learning. Versed in Python, JavaScript, PHP, R, and Golang. Skilled in frameworks like Angular and React and platforms such as Node.js. His expertise spans both front-end and back-end development. His proficiency in the Python language stands as a testament to his versatility and commitment to the craft.
thanks.