Github Actions Agent Skill
Build, test, and deploy applications using GitHub Actions workflows. Create CI/CD pipelines, configure runners, manage secrets, and automate software delivery. Use when working with GitHub repositories, automating builds, running tests, or deploying applications.
Install
one command, takes just this skill from the repositorynpx skills add https://github.com/BagelHole/DevOps-Security-Agent-Skills --skill github-actionsWhat comes with it
2 027 bytes besides the instructionThe instruction itself
35 sections, as written by the authorGitHub Actions
Automate software workflows directly in your GitHub repository with GitHub Actions.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
- Setting up CI/CD pipelines for GitHub repositories
- Automating build, test, and deployment workflows
- Creating reusable workflow components
- Configuring self-hosted runners
- Managing workflow secrets and variables
- Debugging failed workflow runs
Prerequisites
- GitHub repository with write access
- Understanding of YAML syntax
- For self-hosted runners: server with Docker (optional)
Workflow File Structure
Workflows are defined in .github/workflows/ directory:
name: CI Pipeline
on:
push:
branches: [main, develop]
pull_request:
branches: [main]
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: '20'
cache: 'npm'
- run: npm ci
- run: npm test
Common Triggers
Push and Pull Request
on:
push:
branches: [main]
paths:
- 'src/**'
- 'package.json'
pull_request:
branches: [main]
Scheduled Runs
on:
schedule:
- cron: '0 2 * * *' # Daily at 2 AM UTC
Manual Dispatch
on:
workflow_dispatch:
inputs:
environment:
description: 'Deployment environment'
required: true
default: 'staging'
type: choice
options:
- staging
- production
Job Configuration
Matrix Builds
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
strategy:
matrix:
node-version: [18, 20, 22]
os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
- run: npm test
Job Dependencies
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: npm run build
test:
needs: build
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: npm test
deploy:
needs: [build, test]
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: ./deploy.sh
Environment Protection
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
environment:
name: production
url: https://example.com
steps:
- run: ./deploy.sh
Secrets and Variables
Using Secrets
steps:
- name: Deploy
env:
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
run: aws s3 sync ./dist s3://my-bucket
Using Variables
steps:
- name: Build
env:
API_URL: ${{ vars.API_URL }}
run: npm run build
Caching Dependencies
- uses: actions/cache@v4
with:
path: ~/.npm
key: ${{ runner.os }}-node-${{ hashFiles('**/package-lock.json') }}
restore-keys: |
${{ runner.os }}-node-
Artifacts
Upload Artifacts
- uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
with:
name: build-output
path: dist/
retention-days: 5
Download Artifacts
- uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
with:
name: build-output
path: dist/
Docker Builds
jobs:
docker:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Login to Docker Hub
uses: docker/login-action@v3
with:
username: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}
password: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }}
- name: Build and push
uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
with:
context: .
push: true
tags: user/app:latest
Reusable Workflows
Define Reusable Workflow
# .github/workflows/reusable-deploy.yml
name: Reusable Deploy
on:
workflow_call:
inputs:
environment:
required: true
type: string
secrets:
deploy_key:
required: true
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
environment: ${{ inputs.environment }}
steps:
- run: echo "Deploying to ${{ inputs.environment }}"
Call Reusable Workflow
jobs:
deploy-staging:
uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable-deploy.yml
with:
environment: staging
secrets:
deploy_key: ${{ secrets.STAGING_KEY }}
Self-Hosted Runners
Register Runner
# Download runner
mkdir actions-runner && cd actions-runner
curl -o actions-runner-linux-x64.tar.gz -L https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v2.311.0/actions-runner-linux-x64-2.311.0.tar.gz
tar xzf actions-runner-linux-x64.tar.gz
# Configure
./config.sh --url https://github.com/OWNER/REPO --token TOKEN
# Run
./run.sh
Use Self-Hosted Runner
jobs:
build:
runs-on: self-hosted
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
Debugging Workflows
Enable Debug Logging
Set repository secrets:
ACTIONS_RUNNER_DEBUG:trueACTIONS_STEP_DEBUG:true
Debug Step
- name: Debug
run: |
echo "GitHub context: ${{ toJson(github) }}"
echo "Job context: ${{ toJson(job) }}"
Common Issues
Issue: Workflow Not Triggering
Problem: Workflow doesn't run on push/PR
Solution: Check branch filters, path filters, and ensure workflow file is on the default branch
Issue: Permission Denied
Problem: Actions can't push or create PRs
Solution: Configure permissions in workflow or update repository settings
permissions:
contents: write
pull-requests: write
Issue: Cache Not Restoring
Problem: Cache misses despite existing cache
Solution: Verify cache key matches exactly, check runner OS
Best Practices
- Pin action versions to specific commits or tags
- Use caching for dependencies to speed up builds
- Minimize secrets exposure with environment scoping
- Use matrix builds for cross-platform testing
- Implement proper error handling with
continue-on-error - Keep workflows DRY with reusable workflows and composite actions
Related Skills
- gitlab-ci - GitLab CI/CD alternative
- docker-management - Container builds
- semantic-versioning - Automated releases
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How to use it
Take bagelhole/github-actions from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
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