Introduction to GitHub Actions

Imagine if your code could automatically test itself, deploy to production, or generate reports — without you doing anything manually. That’s what GitHub Actions enables: automation, right inside your repository.

GitHub Actions is a powerful CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment) feature built into GitHub that allows you to automate workflows based on triggers like commits, pull requests, or even time schedules.

What Can You Do With GitHub Actions?

✅ Run tests automatically when code is pushed
✅ Build and deploy projects to servers or cloud platforms
✅ Format or lint code every time it’s committed
✅ Send notifications or create backup files on schedule
✅ Automatically label issues or assign reviewers

How GitHub Actions Work

GitHub Actions uses a special folder in your repo:

Bash

.github/workflows/

Inside this folder, you place YAML files (e.g., ci.yml) that define your automation rules.

Sample Workflow: Run Tests on Push

YAML

# File: .github/workflows/test.yml
name: Run Tests

on: [push]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: '16'
      - run: npm install
      - run: npm test

Explanation:

on: [push] → Runs this workflow every time code is pushed
jobs: → A job named test runs on the latest Ubuntu server
steps: → It checks out code, sets up Node.js, installs dependencies, and runs tests

Other Common Triggers

Trigger	Description
`push`	On every push to a branch
`pull_request`	When a PR is opened/updated
`schedule`	Run periodically (like cron)
`workflow_dispatch`	Manual trigger from the GitHub UI

Popular Actions You Can Use

GitHub Actions comes with thousands of reusable actions from the community:

Action	Purpose
`actions/checkout`	Clones your repo
`actions/setup-python`	Sets up Python
`actions/setup-node`	Sets up Node.js
`peaceiris/actions-gh-pages`	Deploys site to GitHub Pages
`docker/build-push-action`	Builds and pushes Docker images

You can explore more at: https://github.com/marketplace/actions

Secrets and Security

You can store sensitive data like API keys in GitHub:

Go to your repo → Settings → Secrets and variables
Add a new secret, e.g., API_KEY
Use it in your workflow:

YAML

- run: echo ${{ secrets.API_KEY }}

Summary: GitHub Actions Essentials

Concept	Meaning
Workflow	A YAML file with automation steps
Job	A group of steps run on the same machine
Step	An individual command or action
Trigger	Event that starts the workflow

GitHub Actions is free for public repositories and comes with generous limits for private ones. Once you get the hang of it, you can automate everything — from testing to deployment.

📘 Next Topic

Real-World GitHub Project Workflow →