Minimal Workflow
name: CI
on:
push:
branches: [main]
pull_request:
branches: [main]
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Run tests
run: npm testTrigger Events (on)
| Event | When it fires | Common filters |
|---|---|---|
push |
Commits pushed to matching branches/tags | branches, tags, paths |
pull_request |
PR opened, synchronized, reopened | branches, types, paths |
schedule |
Cron-based schedule (UTC) | cron: '0 6 * * 1' |
workflow_dispatch |
Manual trigger via UI or API | inputs for parameters |
release |
GitHub release created/published | types: [published] |
workflow_call |
Called by another workflow | inputs, secrets |
repository_dispatch |
External webhook event | types for custom events |
Job & Step Structure
jobs:
job-id:
name: Display Name
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
needs: [other-job] # dependency ordering
if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
timeout-minutes: 30
permissions:
contents: read
packages: write
env:
NODE_ENV: production
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4 # use a marketplace action
- name: Install deps
run: npm ci # run a shell command
- name: Build
run: npm run build
env:
API_KEY: ${{ secrets.API_KEY }}
- name: Upload artifact
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
with:
name: build-output
path: dist/Path & Branch Filtering
on:
push:
branches:
- main
- 'release/**'
paths:
- 'src/**'
- 'package.json'
paths-ignore:
- '**.md'
- 'docs/**'
tags:
- 'v*'
Tip: Use
paths filtering to skip CI when only docs or config files change. This saves runner minutes and speeds up feedback loops.