github-actions-validator

GitHub Actions Validator

Overview

Validate and test GitHub Actions workflows, custom actions, and public actions using industry-standard tools (actionlint and act). This skill provides comprehensive validation including syntax checking, static analysis, local workflow execution testing, and action verification with version-aware documentation lookup.

Trigger Phrases

Use this skill when the request includes phrases like:

• "validate this GitHub Actions workflow"
• "check my .github/workflows/*.yml file"
• "debug actionlint errors"
• "test this workflow locally with act"
• "verify GitHub Action versions or deprecations"

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Validating workflow files: Checking .github/workflows/*.yml for syntax errors and best practices
• Testing workflows locally: Running workflows with act before pushing to GitHub
• Debugging workflow failures: Identifying issues in workflow configuration
• Validating custom actions: Checking composite, Docker, or JavaScript actions
• Verifying public actions: Validating usage of actions from GitHub Marketplace
• Pre-commit validation: Ensuring workflows are valid before committing

Required Execution Flow

Every validation run should follow these steps in order.

Step 1: Set Skill Path and Run Validation

Run commands from the repository root that contains .github/workflows/.

SKILL_DIR="devops-skills-plugin/skills/github-actions-validator"
bash "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/validate_workflow.sh" <workflow-file-or-directory>

Step 2: Map Each Error to a Reference

For each actionlint/act error, consult the mapping table below, then extract the matching fix pattern.

Step 3: Apply Minimal-Quote Policy

For each issue:

1. Include the exact error line from tool output.
2. Quote only the smallest useful snippet from references/ (prefer <=8 lines).
3. Paraphrase the rest and cite the source file/section.
4. Show corrected workflow code.

Step 4: Handle Unmapped Errors Explicitly