Note: GitHub-hosted runners are not currently supported on GitHub Enterprise Server. You can see more information about planned future support on the GitHub public roadmap.
About contexts
Contexts are a way to access information about workflow runs, variables, runner environments, jobs, and steps. Each context is an object that contains properties, which can be strings or other objects.
Contexts, objects, and properties will vary significantly under different workflow run conditions. For example, the matrix
context is only populated for jobs in a matrix.
You can access contexts using the expression syntax. For more information, see "Expressions."
${{ <context> }}
Warning: When creating workflows and actions, you should always consider whether your code might execute untrusted input from possible attackers. Certain contexts should be treated as untrusted input, as an attacker could insert their own malicious content. For more information, see "Security hardening for GitHub Actions."
Context name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
github | object | Information about the workflow run. For more information, see github context. |
env | object | Contains variables set in a workflow, job, or step. For more information, see env context. |
vars | object | Contains variables set at the repository, organization, or environment levels. For more information, see vars context. |
job | object | Information about the currently running job. For more information, see job context. |
jobs | object | For reusable workflows only, contains outputs of jobs from the reusable workflow. For more information, see jobs context. |
steps | object | Information about the steps that have been run in the current job. For more information, see steps context. |
runner | object | Information about the runner that is running the current job. For more information, see runner context. |
secrets | object | Contains the names and values of secrets that are available to a workflow run. For more information, see secrets context. |
strategy | object | Information about the matrix execution strategy for the current job. For more information, see strategy context. |
matrix | object | Contains the matrix properties defined in the workflow that apply to the current job. For more information, see matrix context. |
needs | object | Contains the outputs of all jobs that are defined as a dependency of the current job. For more information, see needs context. |
inputs | object | Contains the inputs of a reusable or manually triggered workflow. For more information, see inputs context. |
As part of an expression, you can access context information using one of two syntaxes.
- Index syntax:
github['sha']
- Property dereference syntax:
github.sha
In order to use property dereference syntax, the property name must start with a letter or _
and contain only alphanumeric characters, -
, or _
.
If you attempt to dereference a nonexistent property, it will evaluate to an empty string.
Determining when to use contexts
GitHub Actions includes a collection of variables called contexts and a similar collection of variables called default variables. These variables are intended for use at different points in the workflow:
- Default environment variables: These environment variables exist only on the runner that is executing your job. For more information, see "Variables."
- Contexts: You can use most contexts at any point in your workflow, including when default variables would be unavailable. For example, you can use contexts with expressions to perform initial processing before the job is routed to a runner for execution; this allows you to use a context with the conditional
if
keyword to determine whether a step should run. Once the job is running, you can also retrieve context variables from the runner that is executing the job, such asrunner.os
. For details of where you can use various contexts within a workflow, see "Context availability."
The following example demonstrates how these different types of variables can be used together in a job:
name: CI on: push jobs: prod-check: if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }} runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - run: echo "Deploying to production server on branch $GITHUB_REF"
name: CI
on: push
jobs:
prod-check:
if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: echo "Deploying to production server on branch $GITHUB_REF"
In this example, the if
statement checks the github.ref
context to determine the current branch name; if the name is refs/heads/main
, then the subsequent steps are executed. The if
check is processed by GitHub Actions, and the job is only sent to the runner if the result is true
. Once the job is sent to the runner, the step is executed and refers to the $GITHUB_REF
variable from the runner.
Context availability
Different contexts are available throughout a workflow run. For example, the secrets
context may only be used at certain places within a job.
In addition, some functions may only be used in certain places. For example, the hashFiles
function is not available everywhere.
The following table indicates where each context and special function can be used within a workflow. Unless listed below, a function can be used anywhere.
Workflow key | Context | Special functions |
---|---|---|
run-name | github, inputs, vars | None |
concurrency | github, inputs, vars | None |
env | github, secrets, inputs, vars | None |
jobs.<job_id>.concurrency | github, needs, strategy, matrix, inputs, vars | None |
jobs.<job_id>.container | github, needs, strategy, matrix, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.container.credentials | github, needs, strategy, matrix, env, vars, secrets, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.container.env.<env_id> | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.container.image | github, needs, strategy, matrix, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.continue-on-error | github, needs, strategy, vars, matrix, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.defaults.run | github, needs, strategy, matrix, env, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.env | github, needs, strategy, matrix, vars, secrets, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.environment | github, needs, strategy, matrix, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.environment.url | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, steps, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.if | github, needs, vars, inputs | always, cancelled, success, failure |
jobs.<job_id>.name | github, needs, strategy, matrix, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.outputs.<output_id> | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, steps, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.runs-on | github, needs, strategy, matrix, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.secrets.<secrets_id> | github, needs, strategy, matrix, secrets, inputs, vars | None |
jobs.<job_id>.services | github, needs, strategy, matrix, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.services.<service_id>.credentials | github, needs, strategy, matrix, env, vars, secrets, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.services.<service_id>.env.<env_id> | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.steps.continue-on-error | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, steps, inputs | hashFiles |
jobs.<job_id>.steps.env | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, steps, inputs | hashFiles |
jobs.<job_id>.steps.if | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, steps, inputs | always, cancelled, success, failure, hashFiles |
jobs.<job_id>.steps.name | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, steps, inputs | hashFiles |
jobs.<job_id>.steps.run | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, steps, inputs | hashFiles |
jobs.<job_id>.steps.timeout-minutes | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, steps, inputs | hashFiles |
jobs.<job_id>.steps.with | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, steps, inputs | hashFiles |
jobs.<job_id>.steps.working-directory | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, secrets, steps, inputs | hashFiles |
jobs.<job_id>.strategy | github, needs, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.timeout-minutes | github, needs, strategy, matrix, vars, inputs | None |
jobs.<job_id>.with.<with_id> | github, needs, strategy, matrix, inputs, vars | None |
on.workflow_call.inputs.<inputs_id>.default | github, inputs, vars | None |
on.workflow_call.outputs.<output_id>.value | github, jobs, vars, inputs | None |
Example: printing context information to the log
You can print the contents of contexts to the log for debugging. The toJSON
function is required to pretty-print JSON objects to the log.
Warning: When using the whole github
context, be mindful that it includes sensitive information such as github.token
. GitHub masks secrets when they are printed to the console, but you should be cautious when exporting or printing the context.
name: Context testing on: push jobs: dump_contexts_to_log: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - name: Dump GitHub context env: GITHUB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(github) }} run: echo "$GITHUB_CONTEXT" - name: Dump job context env: JOB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(job) }} run: echo "$JOB_CONTEXT" - name: Dump steps context env: STEPS_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(steps) }} run: echo "$STEPS_CONTEXT" - name: Dump runner context env: RUNNER_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(runner) }} run: echo "$RUNNER_CONTEXT" - name: Dump strategy context env: STRATEGY_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(strategy) }} run: echo "$STRATEGY_CONTEXT" - name: Dump matrix context env: MATRIX_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(matrix) }} run: echo "$MATRIX_CONTEXT"
name: Context testing
on: push
jobs:
dump_contexts_to_log:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Dump GitHub context
env:
GITHUB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(github) }}
run: echo "$GITHUB_CONTEXT"
- name: Dump job context
env:
JOB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(job) }}
run: echo "$JOB_CONTEXT"
- name: Dump steps context
env:
STEPS_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(steps) }}
run: echo "$STEPS_CONTEXT"
- name: Dump runner context
env:
RUNNER_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(runner) }}
run: echo "$RUNNER_CONTEXT"
- name: Dump strategy context
env:
STRATEGY_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(strategy) }}
run: echo "$STRATEGY_CONTEXT"
- name: Dump matrix context
env:
MATRIX_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(matrix) }}
run: echo "$MATRIX_CONTEXT"
github
context
The github
context contains information about the workflow run and the event that triggered the run. You can also read most of the github
context data in environment variables. For more information about environment variables, see "Variables."
Warning: When using the whole github
context, be mindful that it includes sensitive information such as github.token
. GitHub masks secrets when they are printed to the console, but you should be cautious when exporting or printing the context.
Warning: When creating workflows and actions, you should always consider whether your code might execute untrusted input from possible attackers. Certain contexts should be treated as untrusted input, as an attacker could insert their own malicious content. For more information, see "Security hardening for GitHub Actions."
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
github | object | The top-level context available during any job or step in a workflow. This object contains all the properties listed below. |
github.action | string | The name of the action currently running, or the id of a step. GitHub removes special characters, and uses the name __run when the current step runs a script without an id . If you use the same action more than once in the same job, the name will include a suffix with the sequence number with underscore before it. For example, the first script you run will have the name __run , and the second script will be named __run_2 . Similarly, the second invocation of actions/checkout will be actionscheckout2 . |
github.action_path | string | The path where an action is located. This property is only supported in composite actions. You can use this path to access files located in the same repository as the action, for example by changing directories to the path: cd ${{ github.action_path }} . |
github.action_ref | string | For a step executing an action, this is the ref of the action being executed. For example, v2 .Do not use in the run keyword. To make this context work with composite actions, reference it within the env context of the composite action. |
github.action_repository | string | For a step executing an action, this is the owner and repository name of the action. For example, actions/checkout .Do not use in the run keyword. To make this context work with composite actions, reference it within the env context of the composite action. |
github.action_status | string | For a composite action, the current result of the composite action. |
github.actor | string | The username of the user that triggered the initial workflow run. If the workflow run is a re-run, this value may differ from github.triggering_actor . Any workflow re-runs will use the privileges of github.actor , even if the actor initiating the re-run (github.triggering_actor ) has different privileges. |
github.actor_id | string | The account ID of the person or app that triggered the initial workflow run. For example, 1234567 . Note that this is different from the actor username. |
github.api_url | string | The URL of the GitHub REST API. |
github.base_ref | string | The base_ref or target branch of the pull request in a workflow run. This property is only available when the event that triggers a workflow run is either pull_request or pull_request_target . |
github.env | string | Path on the runner to the file that sets environment variables from workflow commands. This file is unique to the current step and is a different file for each step in a job. For more information, see "Workflow commands for GitHub Actions." |
github.event | object | The full event webhook payload. You can access individual properties of the event using this context. This object is identical to the webhook payload of the event that triggered the workflow run, and is different for each event. The webhooks for each GitHub Actions event is linked in "Events that trigger workflows." For example, for a workflow run triggered by the push event, this object contains the contents of the push webhook payload. |
github.event_name | string | The name of the event that triggered the workflow run. |
github.event_path | string | The path to the file on the runner that contains the full event webhook payload. |
github.graphql_url | string | The URL of the GitHub GraphQL API. |
github.head_ref | string | The head_ref or source branch of the pull request in a workflow run. This property is only available when the event that triggers a workflow run is either pull_request or pull_request_target . |
github.job | string | The job_id of the current job. Note: This context property is set by the Actions runner, and is only available within the execution steps of a job. Otherwise, the value of this property will be null . |
github.path | string | Path on the runner to the file that sets system PATH variables from workflow commands. This file is unique to the current step and is a different file for each step in a job. For more information, see "Workflow commands for GitHub Actions." |
github.ref | string | The fully-formed ref of the branch or tag that triggered the workflow run. For workflows triggered by push , this is the branch or tag ref that was pushed. For workflows triggered by pull_request , this is the pull request merge branch. For workflows triggered by release , this is the release tag created. For other triggers, this is the branch or tag ref that triggered the workflow run. This is only set if a branch or tag is available for the event type. The ref given is fully-formed, meaning that for branches the format is refs/heads/<branch_name> , for pull requests it is refs/pull/<pr_number>/merge , and for tags it is refs/tags/<tag_name> . For example, refs/heads/feature-branch-1 . |
github.ref_name | string | The short ref name of the branch or tag that triggered the workflow run. This value matches the branch or tag name shown on GitHub. For example, feature-branch-1 .For pull requests, the format is <pr_number>/merge . |
github.ref_protected | boolean | true if branch protections are configured for the ref that triggered the workflow run. |
github.ref_type | string | The type of ref that triggered the workflow run. Valid values are branch or tag . |
github.repository | string | The owner and repository name. For example, octocat/Hello-World . |
github.repository_id | string | The ID of the repository. For example, 123456789 . Note that this is different from the repository name. |
github.repository_owner | string | The repository owner's username. For example, octocat . |
github.repository_owner_id | string | The repository owner's account ID. For example, 1234567 . Note that this is different from the owner's name. |
github.repositoryUrl | string | The Git URL to the repository. For example, git://github.com/octocat/hello-world.git . |
github.retention_days | string | The number of days that workflow run logs and artifacts are kept. |
github.run_id | string | A unique number for each workflow run within a repository. This number does not change if you re-run the workflow run. |
github.run_number | string | A unique number for each run of a particular workflow in a repository. This number begins at 1 for the workflow's first run, and increments with each new run. This number does not change if you re-run the workflow run. |
github.run_attempt | string | A unique number for each attempt of a particular workflow run in a repository. This number begins at 1 for the workflow run's first attempt, and increments with each re-run. |
github.secret_source | string | The source of a secret used in a workflow. Possible values are None , Actions , or Dependabot . |
github.server_url | string | The URL of the GitHub server. For example: https://github.com . |
github.sha | string | The commit SHA that triggered the workflow. The value of this commit SHA depends on the event that triggered the workflow. For more information, see "Events that trigger workflows." For example, ffac537e6cbbf934b08745a378932722df287a53 . |
github.token | string | A token to authenticate on behalf of the GitHub App installed on your repository. This is functionally equivalent to the GITHUB_TOKEN secret. For more information, see "Automatic token authentication." Note: This context property is set by the Actions runner, and is only available within the execution steps of a job. Otherwise, the value of this property will be null . |
github.triggering_actor | string | The username of the user that initiated the workflow run. If the workflow run is a re-run, this value may differ from github.actor . Any workflow re-runs will use the privileges of github.actor , even if the actor initiating the re-run (github.triggering_actor ) has different privileges. |
github.workflow | string | The name of the workflow. If the workflow file doesn't specify a name , the value of this property is the full path of the workflow file in the repository. |
github.workflow_ref | string | The ref path to the workflow. For example, octocat/hello-world/.github/workflows/my-workflow.yml@refs/heads/my_branch . |
github.workflow_sha | string | The commit SHA for the workflow file. |
github.workspace | string | The default working directory on the runner for steps, and the default location of your repository when using the checkout action. |
Example contents of the github
context
The following example context is from a workflow run triggered by the push
event. The event
object in this example has been truncated because it is identical to the contents of the push
webhook payload.
Note: This context is an example only. The contents of a context depends on the workflow that you are running. Contexts, objects, and properties will vary significantly under different workflow run conditions.
{
"token": "***",
"job": "dump_contexts_to_log",
"ref": "refs/heads/my_branch",
"sha": "c27d339ee6075c1f744c5d4b200f7901aad2c369",
"repository": "octocat/hello-world",
"repository_owner": "octocat",
"repositoryUrl": "git://github.com/octocat/hello-world.git",
"run_id": "1536140711",
"run_number": "314",
"retention_days": "90",
"run_attempt": "1",
"actor": "octocat",
"workflow": "Context testing",
"head_ref": "",
"base_ref": "",
"event_name": "push",
"event": {
...
},
"server_url": "https://github.com",
"api_url": "https://api.github.com",
"graphql_url": "https://api.github.com/graphql",
"ref_name": "my_branch",
"ref_protected": false,
"ref_type": "branch",
"secret_source": "Actions",
"workspace": "/home/runner/work/hello-world/hello-world",
"action": "github_step",
"event_path": "/home/runner/work/_temp/_github_workflow/event.json",
"action_repository": "",
"action_ref": "",
"path": "/home/runner/work/_temp/_runner_file_commands/add_path_b037e7b5-1c88-48e2-bf78-eaaab5e02602",
"env": "/home/runner/work/_temp/_runner_file_commands/set_env_b037e7b5-1c88-48e2-bf78-eaaab5e02602"
}
Example usage of the github
context
This example workflow uses the github.event_name
context to run a job only if the workflow run was triggered by the pull_request
event.
name: Run CI on: [push, pull_request] jobs: normal_ci: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - name: Run normal CI run: echo "Running normal CI" pull_request_ci: runs-on: ubuntu-latest if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }} steps: - name: Run PR CI run: echo "Running PR only CI"
name: Run CI
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
normal_ci:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Run normal CI
run: echo "Running normal CI"
pull_request_ci:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
steps:
- name: Run PR CI
run: echo "Running PR only CI"
env
context
The env
context contains variables that have been set in a workflow, job, or step. It does not contain variables inherited by the runner process. For more information about setting variables in your workflow, see "Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions."
You can retrieve the values of variables stored in env
context and use these values in your workflow file. You can use the env
context in any key in a workflow step except for the id
and uses
keys. For more information on the step syntax, see "Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions."
If you want to use the value of a variable inside a runner, use the runner operating system's normal method for reading environment variables.
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
env | object | This context changes for each step in a job. You can access this context from any step in a job. This object contains the properties listed below. |
env.<env_name> | string | The value of a specific environment variable. |
Example contents of the env
context
The contents of the env
context is a mapping of variable names to their values. The context's contents can change depending on where it is used in the workflow run. In this example, the env
context contains two variables.
{
"first_name": "Mona",
"super_duper_var": "totally_awesome"
}
Example usage of the env
context
This example workflow shows variables being set in the env
context at the workflow, job, and step levels. The ${{ env.VARIABLE-NAME }}
syntax is then used to retrieve variable values within individual steps in the workflow.
When more than one environment variable is defined with the same name, GitHub uses the most specific variable. For example, an environment variable defined in a step will override job and workflow environment variables with the same name, while the step executes. An environment variable defined for a job will override a workflow variable with the same name, while the job executes.
name: Hi Mascot on: push env: mascot: Mona super_duper_var: totally_awesome jobs: windows_job: runs-on: windows-latest steps: - run: echo 'Hi ${{ env.mascot }}' # Hi Mona - run: echo 'Hi ${{ env.mascot }}' # Hi Octocat env: mascot: Octocat linux_job: runs-on: ubuntu-latest env: mascot: Tux steps: - run: echo 'Hi ${{ env.mascot }}' # Hi Tux
name: Hi Mascot
on: push
env:
mascot: Mona
super_duper_var: totally_awesome
jobs:
windows_job:
runs-on: windows-latest
steps:
- run: echo 'Hi ${{ env.mascot }}' # Hi Mona
- run: echo 'Hi ${{ env.mascot }}' # Hi Octocat
env:
mascot: Octocat
linux_job:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
env:
mascot: Tux
steps:
- run: echo 'Hi ${{ env.mascot }}' # Hi Tux
vars
context
Note: Configuration variables for GitHub Actions are in beta and subject to change.
The vars
context contains custom configuration variables set at the organization, repository, and environment levels. For more information about defining configuration variables for use in multiple workflows, see "Variables".
Example contents of the vars
context
The contents of the vars
context is a mapping of configuration variable names to their values.
{
"mascot": "Mona"
}
Example usage of the vars
context
This example workflow shows how configuration variables set at the repository, environment, or organization levels are automatically available using the vars
context.
If a configuration variable has not been set, the return value of a context referencing the variable will be an empty string.
The following example shows using configuration variables with the vars
context across a workflow. Each of the following configuration variables have been defined at the repository, organization, or environment levels.
on: workflow_dispatch: env: # Setting an environment variable with the value of a configuration variable env_var: ${{ vars.ENV_CONTEXT_VAR }} jobs: display-variables: name: ${{ vars.JOB_NAME }} # You can use configuration variables with the `vars` context for dynamic jobs if: ${{ vars.USE_VARIABLES == 'true' }} runs-on: ${{ vars.RUNNER }} environment: ${{ vars.ENVIRONMENT_STAGE }} steps: - name: Use variables run: | echo "repository variable : $REPOSITORY_VAR" echo "organization variable : $ORGANIZATION_VAR" echo "overridden variable : $OVERRIDE_VAR" echo "variable from shell environment : $env_var" env: REPOSITORY_VAR: ${{ vars.REPOSITORY_VAR }} ORGANIZATION_VAR: ${{ vars.ORGANIZATION_VAR }} OVERRIDE_VAR: ${{ vars.OVERRIDE_VAR }} - name: ${{ vars.HELLO_WORLD_STEP }} if: ${{ vars.HELLO_WORLD_ENABLED == 'true' }} uses: actions/hello-world-javascript-action@main with: who-to-greet: ${{ vars.GREET_NAME }}
on:
workflow_dispatch:
env:
# Setting an environment variable with the value of a configuration variable
env_var: ${{ vars.ENV_CONTEXT_VAR }}
jobs:
display-variables:
name: ${{ vars.JOB_NAME }}
# You can use configuration variables with the `vars` context for dynamic jobs
if: ${{ vars.USE_VARIABLES == 'true' }}
runs-on: ${{ vars.RUNNER }}
environment: ${{ vars.ENVIRONMENT_STAGE }}
steps:
- name: Use variables
run: |
echo "repository variable : $REPOSITORY_VAR"
echo "organization variable : $ORGANIZATION_VAR"
echo "overridden variable : $OVERRIDE_VAR"
echo "variable from shell environment : $env_var"
env:
REPOSITORY_VAR: ${{ vars.REPOSITORY_VAR }}
ORGANIZATION_VAR: ${{ vars.ORGANIZATION_VAR }}
OVERRIDE_VAR: ${{ vars.OVERRIDE_VAR }}
- name: ${{ vars.HELLO_WORLD_STEP }}
if: ${{ vars.HELLO_WORLD_ENABLED == 'true' }}
uses: actions/hello-world-javascript-action@main
with:
who-to-greet: ${{ vars.GREET_NAME }}
job
context
The job
context contains information about the currently running job.
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
job | object | This context changes for each job in a workflow run. You can access this context from any step in a job. This object contains all the properties listed below. |
job.container | object | Information about the job's container. For more information about containers, see "Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions." |
job.container.id | string | The ID of the container. |
job.container.network | string | The ID of the container network. The runner creates the network used by all containers in a job. |
job.services | object | The service containers created for a job. For more information about service containers, see "Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions." |
job.services.<service_id>.id | string | The ID of the service container. |
job.services.<service_id>.network | string | The ID of the service container network. The runner creates the network used by all containers in a job. |
job.services.<service_id>.ports | object | The exposed ports of the service container. |
job.status | string | The current status of the job. Possible values are success , failure , or cancelled . |
Example contents of the job
context
This example job
context uses a PostgreSQL service container with mapped ports. If there are no containers or service containers used in a job, the job
context only contains the status
property.
{
"status": "success",
"container": {
"network": "github_network_53269bd575974817b43f4733536b200c"
},
"services": {
"postgres": {
"id": "60972d9aa486605e66b0dad4abb638dc3d9116f566579e418166eedb8abb9105",
"ports": {
"5432": "49153"
},
"network": "github_network_53269bd575974817b43f4733536b200c"
}
}
}
Example usage of the job
context
This example workflow configures a PostgreSQL service container, and automatically maps port 5432 in the service container to a randomly chosen available port on the host. The job
context is used to access the number of the port that was assigned on the host.
name: PostgreSQL Service Example on: push jobs: postgres-job: runs-on: ubuntu-latest services: postgres: image: postgres env: POSTGRES_PASSWORD: postgres options: --health-cmd pg_isready --health-interval 10s --health-timeout 5s --health-retries 5 ports: # Maps TCP port 5432 in the service container to a randomly chosen available port on the host. - 5432 steps: - run: pg_isready -h localhost -p ${{ job.services.postgres.ports[5432] }} - run: echo "Run tests against Postgres"
name: PostgreSQL Service Example
on: push
jobs:
postgres-job:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
services:
postgres:
image: postgres
env:
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: postgres
options: --health-cmd pg_isready --health-interval 10s --health-timeout 5s --health-retries 5
ports:
# Maps TCP port 5432 in the service container to a randomly chosen available port on the host.
- 5432
steps:
- run: pg_isready -h localhost -p ${{ job.services.postgres.ports[5432] }}
- run: echo "Run tests against Postgres"
jobs
context
The jobs
context is only available in reusable workflows, and can only be used to set outputs for a reusable workflow. For more information, see "Reusing workflows."
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
jobs | object | This is only available in reusable workflows, and can only be used to set outputs for a reusable workflow. This object contains all the properties listed below. |
jobs.<job_id>.result | string | The result of a job in the reusable workflow. Possible values are success , failure , cancelled , or skipped . |
jobs.<job_id>.outputs | object | The set of outputs of a job in a reusable workflow. |
jobs.<job_id>.outputs.<output_name> | string | The value of a specific output for a job in a reusable workflow. |
Example contents of the jobs
context
This example jobs
context contains the result and outputs of a job from a reusable workflow run.
{
"example_job": {
"result": "success",
"outputs": {
"output1": "hello",
"output2": "world"
}
}
}
Example usage of the jobs
context
This example reusable workflow uses the jobs
context to set outputs for the reusable workflow. Note how the outputs flow up from the steps, to the job, then to the workflow_call
trigger. For more information, see "Reusing workflows."
name: Reusable workflow on: workflow_call: # Map the workflow outputs to job outputs outputs: firstword: description: "The first output string" value: ${{ jobs.example_job.outputs.output1 }} secondword: description: "The second output string" value: ${{ jobs.example_job.outputs.output2 }} jobs: example_job: name: Generate output runs-on: ubuntu-latest # Map the job outputs to step outputs outputs: output1: ${{ steps.step1.outputs.firstword }} output2: ${{ steps.step2.outputs.secondword }} steps: - id: step1 run: echo "firstword=hello" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT - id: step2 run: echo "secondword=world" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
name: Reusable workflow
on:
workflow_call:
# Map the workflow outputs to job outputs
outputs:
firstword:
description: "The first output string"
value: ${{ jobs.example_job.outputs.output1 }}
secondword:
description: "The second output string"
value: ${{ jobs.example_job.outputs.output2 }}
jobs:
example_job:
name: Generate output
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
# Map the job outputs to step outputs
outputs:
output1: ${{ steps.step1.outputs.firstword }}
output2: ${{ steps.step2.outputs.secondword }}
steps:
- id: step1
run: echo "firstword=hello" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
- id: step2
run: echo "secondword=world" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
steps
context
The steps
context contains information about the steps in the current job that have an id
specified and have already run.
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
steps | object | This context changes for each step in a job. You can access this context from any step in a job. This object contains all the properties listed below. |
steps.<step_id>.outputs | object | The set of outputs defined for the step. For more information, see "Metadata syntax for GitHub Actions." |
steps.<step_id>.conclusion | string | The result of a completed step after continue-on-error is applied. Possible values are success , failure , cancelled , or skipped . When a continue-on-error step fails, the outcome is failure , but the final conclusion is success . |
steps.<step_id>.outcome | string | The result of a completed step before continue-on-error is applied. Possible values are success , failure , cancelled , or skipped . When a continue-on-error step fails, the outcome is failure , but the final conclusion is success . |
steps.<step_id>.outputs.<output_name> | string | The value of a specific output. |
Example contents of the steps
context
This example steps
context shows two previous steps that had an id
specified. The first step had the id
named checkout
, the second generate_number
. The generate_number
step had an output named random_number
.
{
"checkout": {
"outputs": {},
"outcome": "success",
"conclusion": "success"
},
"generate_number": {
"outputs": {
"random_number": "1"
},
"outcome": "success",
"conclusion": "success"
}
}
Example usage of the steps
context
This example workflow generates a random number as an output in one step, and a later step uses the steps
context to read the value of that output.
name: Generate random failure on: push jobs: randomly-failing-job: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - name: Generate 0 or 1 id: generate_number run: echo "random_number=$(($RANDOM % 2))" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT - name: Pass or fail run: | if [[ ${{ steps.generate_number.outputs.random_number }} == 0 ]]; then exit 0; else exit 1; fi
name: Generate random failure
on: push
jobs:
randomly-failing-job:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Generate 0 or 1
id: generate_number
run: echo "random_number=$(($RANDOM % 2))" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
- name: Pass or fail
run: |
if [[ ${{ steps.generate_number.outputs.random_number }} == 0 ]]; then exit 0; else exit 1; fi
runner
context
The runner
context contains information about the runner that is executing the current job.
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
runner | object | This context changes for each job in a workflow run. This object contains all the properties listed below. |
runner.name | string | The name of the runner executing the job. This name may not be unique in a workflow run as runners at the repository and organization levels could use the same name. |
runner.os | string | The operating system of the runner executing the job. Possible values are Linux , Windows , or macOS . |
runner.arch | string | The architecture of the runner executing the job. Possible values are X86 , X64 , ARM , or ARM64 . |
runner.temp | string | The path to a temporary directory on the runner. This directory is emptied at the beginning and end of each job. Note that files will not be removed if the runner's user account does not have permission to delete them. |
runner.tool_cache | string | The path to the directory containing preinstalled tools for GitHub-hosted runners. For more information, see "Using GitHub-hosted runners". |
runner.debug | string | This is set only if debug logging is enabled, and always has the value of 1 . It can be useful as an indicator to enable additional debugging or verbose logging in your own job steps. |
runner.environment | string | The environment of the runner executing the job. Possible values are: github-hosted for GitHub-hosted runners provided by GitHub, and self-hosted for self-hosted runners configured by the repository owner. |
Example contents of the runner
context
The following example context is from a Linux GitHub-hosted runner.
{
"os": "Linux",
"arch": "X64",
"name": "GitHub Actions 2",
"tool_cache": "/opt/hostedtoolcache",
"temp": "/home/runner/work/_temp"
}
Example usage of the runner
context
This example workflow uses the runner
context to set the path to the temporary directory to write logs, and if the workflow fails, it uploads those logs as artifact.
name: Build on: push jobs: build: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v4 - name: Build with logs run: | mkdir ${{ runner.temp }}/build_logs echo "Logs from building" > ${{ runner.temp }}/build_logs/build.logs exit 1 - name: Upload logs on fail if: ${{ failure() }} uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3 with: name: Build failure logs path: ${{ runner.temp }}/build_logs
name: Build
on: push
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Build with logs
run: |
mkdir ${{ runner.temp }}/build_logs
echo "Logs from building" > ${{ runner.temp }}/build_logs/build.logs
exit 1
- name: Upload logs on fail
if: ${{ failure() }}
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
with:
name: Build failure logs
path: ${{ runner.temp }}/build_logs
secrets
context
The secrets
context contains the names and values of secrets that are available to a workflow run. The secrets
context is not available for composite actions due to security reasons. If you want to pass a secret to a composite action, you need to do it explicitly as an input. For more information about secrets, see "Using secrets in GitHub Actions."
GITHUB_TOKEN
is a secret that is automatically created for every workflow run, and is always included in the secrets
context. For more information, see "Automatic token authentication."
Warning: If a secret was used in the job, GitHub automatically redacts secrets printed to the log. You should avoid printing secrets to the log intentionally.
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
secrets | object | This context is the same for each job in a workflow run. You can access this context from any step in a job. This object contains all the properties listed below. |
secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN | string | Automatically created token for each workflow run. For more information, see "Automatic token authentication." |
secrets.<secret_name> | string | The value of a specific secret. |
Example contents of the secrets
context
The following example contents of the secrets
context shows the automatic GITHUB_TOKEN
, as well as two other secrets available to the workflow run.
{
"github_token": "***",
"NPM_TOKEN": "***",
"SUPERSECRET": "***"
}
Example usage of the secrets
context
This example workflow uses the GitHub CLI, which requires the GITHUB_TOKEN
as the value for the GH_TOKEN
input parameter:
name: Open new issue on: workflow_dispatch jobs: open-issue: runs-on: ubuntu-latest permissions: contents: read issues: write steps: - run: | gh issue --repo ${{ github.repository }} \ create --title "Issue title" --body "Issue body" env: GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
name: Open new issue
on: workflow_dispatch
jobs:
open-issue:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
permissions:
contents: read
issues: write
steps:
- run: |
gh issue --repo ${{ github.repository }} \
create --title "Issue title" --body "Issue body"
env:
GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
strategy
context
For workflows with a matrix, the strategy
context contains information about the matrix execution strategy for the current job.
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
strategy | object | This context changes for each job in a workflow run. You can access this context from any job or step in a workflow. This object contains all the properties listed below. |
strategy.fail-fast | boolean | When this evaluates to true , all in-progress jobs are canceled if any job in a matrix fails. For more information, see "Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions." |
strategy.job-index | number | The index of the current job in the matrix. Note: This number is a zero-based number. The first job's index in the matrix is 0 . |
strategy.job-total | number | The total number of jobs in the matrix. Note: This number is not a zero-based number. For example, for a matrix with four jobs, the value of job-total is 4 . |
strategy.max-parallel | number | The maximum number of jobs that can run simultaneously when using a matrix job strategy. For more information, see "Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions." |
Example contents of the strategy
context
The following example contents of the strategy
context is from a matrix with four jobs, and is taken from the final job. Note the difference between the zero-based job-index
number, and job-total
which is not zero-based.
{
"fail-fast": true,
"job-index": 3,
"job-total": 4,
"max-parallel": 4
}
Example usage of the strategy
context
This example workflow uses the strategy.job-index
property to set a unique name for a log file for each job in a matrix.
name: Test strategy on: push jobs: test: runs-on: ubuntu-latest strategy: matrix: test-group: [1, 2] node: [14, 16] steps: - run: echo "Mock test logs" > test-job-${{ strategy.job-index }}.txt - name: Upload logs uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3 with: name: Build log for job ${{ strategy.job-index }} path: test-job-${{ strategy.job-index }}.txt
name: Test strategy
on: push
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
strategy:
matrix:
test-group: [1, 2]
node: [14, 16]
steps:
- run: echo "Mock test logs" > test-job-${{ strategy.job-index }}.txt
- name: Upload logs
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
with:
name: Build log for job ${{ strategy.job-index }}
path: test-job-${{ strategy.job-index }}.txt
matrix
context
For workflows with a matrix, the matrix
context contains the matrix properties defined in the workflow file that apply to the current job. For example, if you configure a matrix with the os
and node
keys, the matrix
context object includes the os
and node
properties with the values that are being used for the current job.
There are no standard properties in the matrix
context, only those which are defined in the workflow file.
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
matrix | object | This context is only available for jobs in a matrix, and changes for each job in a workflow run. You can access this context from any job or step in a workflow. This object contains the properties listed below. |
matrix.<property_name> | string | The value of a matrix property. |
Example contents of the matrix
context
The following example contents of the matrix
context is from a job in a matrix that has the os
and node
matrix properties defined in the workflow. The job is executing the matrix combination of an ubuntu-latest
OS and Node.js version 16
.
{
"os": "ubuntu-latest",
"node": 16
}
Example usage of the matrix
context
This example workflow creates a matrix with os
and node
keys. It uses the matrix.os
property to set the runner type for each job, and uses the matrix.node
property to set the Node.js version for each job.
name: Test matrix on: push jobs: build: runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }} strategy: matrix: os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest] node: [14, 16] steps: - uses: actions/setup-node@v4 with: node-version: ${{ matrix.node }} - name: Output node version run: node --version
name: Test matrix
on: push
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
strategy:
matrix:
os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
node: [14, 16]
steps:
- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}
- name: Output node version
run: node --version
needs
context
The needs
context contains outputs from all jobs that are defined as a direct dependency of the current job. Note that this doesn't include implicitly dependent jobs (for example, dependent jobs of a dependent job). For more information on defining job dependencies, see "Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions."
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
needs | object | This context is only populated for workflow runs that have dependent jobs, and changes for each job in a workflow run. You can access this context from any job or step in a workflow. This object contains all the properties listed below. |
needs.<job_id> | object | A single job that the current job depends on. |
needs.<job_id>.outputs | object | The set of outputs of a job that the current job depends on. |
needs.<job_id>.outputs.<output name> | string | The value of a specific output for a job that the current job depends on. |
needs.<job_id>.result | string | The result of a job that the current job depends on. Possible values are success , failure , cancelled , or skipped . |
Example contents of the needs
context
The following example contents of the needs
context shows information for two jobs that the current job depends on.
{
"build": {
"result": "success",
"outputs": {
"build_id": "123456"
}
},
"deploy": {
"result": "failure",
"outputs": {}
}
}
Example usage of the needs
context
This example workflow has three jobs: a build
job that does a build, a deploy
job that requires the build
job, and a debug
job that requires both the build
and deploy
jobs and runs only if there is a failure in the workflow. The deploy
job also uses the needs
context to access an output from the build
job.
name: Build and deploy on: push jobs: build: runs-on: ubuntu-latest outputs: build_id: ${{ steps.build_step.outputs.build_id }} steps: - name: Build id: build_step run: echo "build_id=$RANDOM" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT deploy: needs: build runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - run: echo "Deploying build ${{ needs.build.outputs.build_id }}" debug: needs: [build, deploy] runs-on: ubuntu-latest if: ${{ failure() }} steps: - run: echo "Failed to build and deploy"
name: Build and deploy
on: push
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
outputs:
build_id: ${{ steps.build_step.outputs.build_id }}
steps:
- name: Build
id: build_step
run: echo "build_id=$RANDOM" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
deploy:
needs: build
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: echo "Deploying build ${{ needs.build.outputs.build_id }}"
debug:
needs: [build, deploy]
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
if: ${{ failure() }}
steps:
- run: echo "Failed to build and deploy"
inputs
context
The inputs
context contains input properties passed to an action, to a reusable workflow, or to a manually triggered workflow. For reusable workflows, the input names and types are defined in the workflow_call
event configuration of a reusable workflow, and the input values are passed from jobs.<job_id>.with
in an external workflow that calls the reusable workflow. For manually triggered workflows, the inputs are defined in the workflow_dispatch
event configuration of a workflow.
The properties in the inputs
context are defined in the workflow file. They are only available in a reusable workflow or in a workflow triggered by the workflow_dispatch
event
Property name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
inputs | object | This context is only available in a reusable workflow or in a workflow triggered by the workflow_dispatch event. You can access this context from any job or step in a workflow. This object contains the properties listed below. |
inputs.<name> | string or number or boolean or choice | Each input value passed from an external workflow. |
Example contents of the inputs
context
The following example contents of the inputs
context is from a workflow that has defined the build_id
, deploy_target
, and perform_deploy
inputs.
{
"build_id": 123456768,
"deploy_target": "deployment_sys_1a",
"perform_deploy": true
}
Example usage of the inputs
context in a reusable workflow
This example reusable workflow uses the inputs
context to get the values of the build_id
, deploy_target
, and perform_deploy
inputs that were passed to the reusable workflow from the caller workflow.
name: Reusable deploy workflow on: workflow_call: inputs: build_id: required: true type: number deploy_target: required: true type: string perform_deploy: required: true type: boolean jobs: deploy: runs-on: ubuntu-latest if: ${{ inputs.perform_deploy }} steps: - name: Deploy build to target run: echo "Deploying build:${{ inputs.build_id }} to target:${{ inputs.deploy_target }}"
name: Reusable deploy workflow
on:
workflow_call:
inputs:
build_id:
required: true
type: number
deploy_target:
required: true
type: string
perform_deploy:
required: true
type: boolean
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
if: ${{ inputs.perform_deploy }}
steps:
- name: Deploy build to target
run: echo "Deploying build:${{ inputs.build_id }} to target:${{ inputs.deploy_target }}"
Example usage of the inputs
context in a manually triggered workflow
This example workflow triggered by a workflow_dispatch
event uses the inputs
context to get the values of the build_id
, deploy_target
, and perform_deploy
inputs that were passed to the workflow.
on: workflow_dispatch: inputs: build_id: required: true type: string deploy_target: required: true type: string perform_deploy: required: true type: boolean jobs: deploy: runs-on: ubuntu-latest if: ${{ inputs.perform_deploy }} steps: - name: Deploy build to target run: echo "Deploying build:${{ inputs.build_id }} to target:${{ inputs.deploy_target }}"
on:
workflow_dispatch:
inputs:
build_id:
required: true
type: string
deploy_target:
required: true
type: string
perform_deploy:
required: true
type: boolean
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
if: ${{ inputs.perform_deploy }}
steps:
- name: Deploy build to target
run: echo "Deploying build:${{ inputs.build_id }} to target:${{ inputs.deploy_target }}"