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Choose checks that match what you need to validate
GitHub Actions workflows are YAML files made up of triggering events, jobs, and steps. They can run in response to repository events, manually, or on a schedule. Each test method below checks a different part of a change, so a useful pre-merge process layers them rather than treating one successful run as conclusive.
| Method | What it checks | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
actionlint |
Workflow configuration, expressions, action inputs and outputs, reusable-workflow calls, and other static issues. | It does not execute the workflow. actionlint README |
GitHub pull_request run |
Workflow behavior on GitHub for the proposed merge result. | By default, an open, mergeable pull request runs against the simulated merge result, not only the PR head commit. GitHub event documentation |
workflow_dispatch |
A targeted manual run on an eligible branch or tag. | The workflow must exist on the default branch for the manual trigger to be available; running it on a PR head does not satisfy that PR’s required checks. GitHub event documentation GitHub required-check troubleshooting |
act |
Local execution feedback using Docker containers. | Local containers can differ from GitHub’s fully virtualized machines. act README act runner documentation |
Run a static check first
actionlint describes itself as a static checker for GitHub Actions workflow files. It can flag configuration problems before you spend time waiting for a hosted run, including invalid expressions, mismatched action inputs or outputs, and reusable-workflow mistakes.
A clean lint result means the workflow passed the checks actionlint performs; it does not prove the jobs will execute successfully. The checker does not run the workflow’s commands, resolve every runtime condition, or establish that credentials, services, and runner behavior will work in GitHub.
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Use a pull request to test the merge result
For the main pre-merge test, open or update a pull request and inspect its GitHub Actions checks. For an open, mergeable pull request, the pull_request event normally runs against GitHub’s simulated merge result. That tests the proposed changes combined with the current base branch, which is usually what matters when determining whether the change can be merged.
If the specific question is whether the workflow works on the PR branch’s head commit alone, check out github.event.pull_request.head.sha explicitly in the workflow. That changes what code is tested; it is not the default behavior of a pull_request run.
Use manual dispatch for a targeted run
The workflow_dispatch event lets an authorized user start a workflow manually from GitHub’s Actions UI, the CLI, or the API. GitHub requires the workflow file to be present on the repository’s default branch before the dispatch trigger is available. Once the workflow has run at least once, it can be dispatched against another branch or tag.
A dispatch run can answer a focused question about an eligible ref, but manually running a workflow against a pull-request head does not create the required check in that pull request’s checks section. Keep the PR-triggered workflow enabled when a merge rule depends on its status.
Run locally with act when it helps
act uses Docker containers to run GitHub Actions workflows locally, which can shorten the feedback loop while editing. A passing local run is useful additional feedback, but it is not proof that a GitHub-hosted run will behave identically: local containers can differ from GitHub’s fully virtualized runner machines.
Check that triggers and required checks cover the merge path
A workflow can be correct yet fail to provide the status check that a merge requires. Check the repository’s required-check rules alongside the workflow’s event and filter configuration.
- Merge queues: If a merge queue requires an Actions check, the workflow must include the
merge_groupevent so GitHub runs it for the queue. - Branch and path filters: A required workflow skipped because its branch or path filters do not match can leave the associated check pending.
- Skip annotations: Commit-message skip annotations can also leave associated checks pending; a pending required check can block merging.
GitHub documents these pending-check cases in its required status checks troubleshooting guide. When a required check is pending, inspect whether the workflow was skipped or did not trigger for the relevant merge path before treating it as a job failure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep pull-request workflows safe
Do not use pull_request_target to build or execute untrusted code from a contributor’s pull-request head. Unlike pull_request, this event runs in the base repository’s default-branch context. GitHub warns that combining that context with untrusted PR code can expose secrets or write privileges, or enable cache poisoning. Use a trigger and permissions appropriate to the work the workflow needs to perform.
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A practical pre-merge sequence
- Lint the edited workflow: Run
actionlintand resolve the static configuration issues it reports. - Open or update the pull request: Confirm the expected
pull_requestworkflow runs and inspect its result on GitHub. - Check the tested revision: Confirm whether the workflow should test GitHub’s default simulated merge result or explicitly check out
github.event.pull_request.head.sha. - Dispatch or run locally only for a clear reason: Use
workflow_dispatchfor a targeted manual test, oractfor local execution feedback; neither replaces a required PR status check. - Verify merge-gate coverage: Confirm the relevant workflow runs for merge queues and is not skipped by branch, path, or commit-message filters when its check is required.
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