2.triggers.md

GitHub Actions: Workflow Triggers

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In GitHub Actions, a trigger defines when and why a workflow runs. Triggers listen for specific events in your repository. Understanding triggers is essential to ensure your workflow runs at the right time and on the right branches.

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1. push

• Triggered when code is pushed to a branch or tag.
• Commonly used for CI pipelines to automatically build and test new commits.
• Example: trigger on main branch:

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

• Trigger on tags (e.g., version release):

on:
  push:
    tags:
      - 'v*.*.*'

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2. pull_request

• Triggered on pull requests targeting specific branches.
• Useful for running tests and validations before merging code.
• Example:

on:
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - main

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3. schedule

• Trigger workflows automatically on a schedule using cron syntax.
• Use case: nightly builds, periodic tests, or maintenance tasks.
• Example: daily at midnight:

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: "0 0 * * *"

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4. workflow_dispatch

• Manual trigger from the GitHub UI.
• Can accept inputs/parameters for flexible workflows.
• Example:

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      env:
        description: 'Deployment environment'
        required: true
        default: 'staging'

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