github-actions
GitHub Actions workflow design, job structure, triggers, reusable workflows, and best practices. Use when creating or reviewing CI/CD pipelines.
What this skill does
# GitHub Actions Skill
Design and implement GitHub Actions workflows for CI/CD automation.
## When to Use This Skill
**Keywords:** github actions, ci/cd, workflow, pipeline, build, deploy, continuous integration, continuous deployment, yaml workflow, job, step, runner, matrix, reusable workflow
**Use this skill when:**
- Creating new GitHub Actions workflows
- Reviewing existing workflow files
- Designing CI/CD pipelines for repositories
- Setting up build/test/deploy automation
- Implementing reusable workflow patterns
## MANDATORY: Documentation-First Approach
Before creating workflows:
1. **Verify syntax** via MCP servers (context7 for GitHub Actions docs)
2. **Check for existing patterns** in the repository
3. **Use official actions** where possible (actions/checkout, actions/setup-node, etc.)
## Workflow Structure Overview
```yaml
name: Workflow Name
on:
push:
branches: [main]
pull_request:
branches: [main]
permissions:
contents: read
jobs:
job-name:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Step name
run: echo "Hello"
```
## Key Concepts
### Triggers (on)
| Trigger | Use Case |
|---------|----------|
| `push` | Run on every push to specified branches |
| `pull_request` | Run on PR events |
| `workflow_dispatch` | Manual trigger |
| `schedule` | Cron-based scheduling |
| `workflow_call` | Called by other workflows (reusable) |
### Job Configuration
| Setting | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| `runs-on` | Runner environment (ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest) |
| `needs` | Job dependencies |
| `if` | Conditional execution |
| `strategy.matrix` | Matrix builds |
| `environment` | Deployment environment with protection rules |
### Common Actions
| Action | Purpose |
|--------|---------|
| `actions/checkout@v4` | Checkout repository |
| `actions/setup-node@v4` | Setup Node.js |
| `actions/setup-python@v5` | Setup Python |
| `actions/setup-dotnet@v4` | Setup .NET |
| `actions/cache@v4` | Cache dependencies |
| `actions/upload-artifact@v4` | Upload build artifacts |
## Best Practices
### Security
```yaml
permissions:
contents: read # Minimal permissions
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4 # Pin to specific version
```
### Caching
```yaml
- uses: actions/cache@v4
with:
path: ~/.npm
key: ${{ runner.os }}-node-${{ hashFiles('**/package-lock.json') }}
restore-keys: |
${{ runner.os }}-node-
```
### Matrix Builds
```yaml
strategy:
matrix:
node-version: [18, 20, 22]
os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
steps:
- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
```
### Reusable Workflows
```yaml
# .github/workflows/reusable-test.yml
on:
workflow_call:
inputs:
node-version:
type: string
default: '20'
secrets:
NPM_TOKEN:
required: false
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: ${{ inputs.node-version }}
- run: npm ci && npm test
```
**Calling reusable workflow:**
```yaml
jobs:
call-test:
uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable-test.yml
with:
node-version: '20'
secrets: inherit
```
## Workflow Patterns
### PR Validation
```yaml
name: PR Validation
on:
pull_request:
branches: [main]
jobs:
lint:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: npm ci
- run: npm run lint
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: npm ci
- run: npm test
build:
needs: [lint, test]
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: npm ci
- run: npm run build
```
### Release Workflow
```yaml
name: Release
on:
push:
tags:
- 'v*'
permissions:
contents: write
jobs:
release:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: npm ci && npm run build
- name: Create Release
uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
with:
files: dist/*
generate_release_notes: true
```
## Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| Permission denied | Add `permissions` block with required access |
| Action not found | Check action version and repository |
| Cache not working | Verify `key` pattern matches file paths |
| Job dependency failed | Check `needs` references and job names |
## MCP Research
For current GitHub Actions patterns:
```text
perplexity: "GitHub Actions best practices 2026"
context7: "github-actions" (for official documentation)
```
## Version History
- **v1.0.0** (2026-01-17): Initial release
---
**Last Updated:** 2026-01-17
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