Workflow Syntax¶

Learn about the main components of a GitHub Actions file.

Components of GitHub Actions¶

Workflows¶

A workflow is a configurable automated process that will run one or more jobs. Workflows are defined by a YAML file checked in to your repository and will run when triggered by an event in your repository, or they can be triggered manually, or at a defined schedule.

Events¶

An event is a specific activity in a repository that triggers a workflow run. For example, pushing a commit to a repository or creating a pull request or opening an issue.

on: push

Jobs¶

A job is a set of steps in a workflow that execute on the same runner. Each step is either a shell script that will be executed, or an action that will be run. Steps are executed in order and are dependent on each other.

jobs:
  my_first_job:
    name: My first job
  my_second_job:
    name: My second job

Runners¶

A runner is a server that runs your workflows when they're triggered. Each runner can run a single job at a time. GitHub provides Ubuntu Linux, Microsoft Windows, and macOS runners to run your workflows.

runs-on: ubuntu-latest

Steps¶

A step is an individual task that can run commands or actions.

steps:
  - uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Run a one-line script
    run: echo Hello, world!

Actions¶

An action is a custom application for the GitHub Actions platform that performs a complex but frequently repeated task.

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