CI/CD with GitHub Actions
Master continuous integration and delivery pipelines using GitHub Actions, from writing your first workflow to deploying production applications. You will build a fully automated CI/CD pipeline that tests, builds, and deploys a real web application.
Course Content
6 modules · 30 lessonsGitHub Actions Fundamentals
Students can explain what GitHub Actions is, create a basic workflow file, and trigger it on a push event.
What is GitHub Actions and how does CI/CD work
CI/CD definition, GitHub Actions overview, automation pipeline concept, event-driven workflows, software delivery lifecycle
GitHub Actions YAML workflow file structure explained
YAML syntax, workflow file location, on trigger block, jobs block, runs-on key, steps array, name field
How GitHub Actions triggers and events work
push event, pull_request event, workflow_dispatch, schedule cron, event filters, branch filtering, path filtering
What are GitHub Actions runners and how to choose one
GitHub-hosted runners, self-hosted runners, ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest, runner specs, runner selection strategy
How to use pre-built GitHub Actions from the marketplace
actions/checkout, uses keyword, action versioning, @v4 pinning, GitHub Marketplace, verified creators, action inputs
Building a CI Pipeline
Students can write a complete CI workflow that installs dependencies, runs tests, and reports results on every pull request.
How to run automated tests in GitHub Actions
npm test, pytest, test runner integration, step ordering, exit codes, job failure on test failure, test output in logs
How to cache dependencies in GitHub Actions to speed up builds
actions/cache, cache key, cache restore, npm cache, pip cache, cache hit vs miss, dependency caching strategy
How to use environment variables and secrets in GitHub Actions
env block, secrets context, GitHub Secrets UI, GITHUB_TOKEN, secret masking, environment-level secrets, env vs secrets
How to run jobs in parallel and in sequence using needs
parallel jobs, needs keyword, job dependency graph, fan-out pattern, fan-in pattern, job status checks, sequential pipeline
How to upload and download build artifacts in GitHub Actions
actions/upload-artifact, actions/download-artifact, artifact retention, artifact naming, passing files between jobs, build output persistence
Docker and Container Workflows
Students can build Docker images in GitHub Actions, push them to a registry, and run containerized services for integration testing.
How to build a Docker image in GitHub Actions
docker build command, Dockerfile basics, context path, image tagging, build args, multi-stage builds in CI, build output
How to push Docker images to GitHub Container Registry
GitHub Container Registry, ghcr.io, docker/login-action, GITHUB_TOKEN permissions, image naming convention, package visibility, registry authentication
How to run service containers for integration tests in GitHub Actions
services block, postgres service container, redis service, health checks, port mapping, environment variables for services, container networking
How to use Docker layer caching in GitHub Actions
BuildKit cache, cache-from, cache-to, gha cache type, registry cache, layer cache hit, cache invalidation, build speed optimization
How to use matrix strategy to test across multiple environments
matrix strategy, matrix variables, node-version matrix, os matrix, matrix include/exclude, matrix expansion, parallel matrix jobs, fail-fast
Deployment Workflows
Students can write GitHub Actions workflows that deploy applications to cloud platforms and configure environment-based deployment strategies.
How to deploy to a server using SSH in GitHub Actions
SSH deployment, appleboy/ssh-action, SSH key secrets, known_hosts, remote commands, deployment script execution, server authentication
How to deploy to GitHub Pages using GitHub Actions
actions/deploy-pages, actions/configure-pages, pages permission, github-pages environment, artifact upload for pages, static site deployment
How to use GitHub Actions environments for staged deployments
environments, environment protection rules, required reviewers, wait timer, environment secrets, staging vs production, deployment approval
How to deploy to AWS using OIDC instead of long-lived credentials
OIDC authentication, aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials, IAM role trust policy, id-token permission, short-lived credentials, no AWS secret key storage, role ARN
How to implement rollback in a GitHub Actions deployment pipeline
rollback strategy, previous image tag, deployment failure detection, if: failure(), manual rollback workflow, workflow_dispatch inputs, deployment tracking
Advanced Workflow Patterns
Students can write reusable workflows, composite actions, and apply conditional logic to build efficient, maintainable pipelines.
How to create reusable workflows in GitHub Actions
workflow_call trigger, inputs, secrets: inherit, caller workflow, called workflow, reusable workflow limitations, on.workflow_call.inputs
How to write a composite action in GitHub Actions
action.yml, composite action type, using: composite, steps in action.yml, inputs in composite, calling local action, action outputs, composite vs reusable workflow
How to use conditional logic with if expressions in GitHub Actions
if expression, github context, job status functions, success(), failure(), always(), cancelled(), branch conditions, event conditions, expression syntax
How to pass data between steps using outputs in GitHub Actions
step outputs, GITHUB_OUTPUT, echo to output file, steps context, job outputs, passing job outputs to downstream jobs, output expressions
How to limit GitHub Actions costs with concurrency and skip conditions
concurrency group, cancel-in-progress, skip CI via commit message, paths-ignore, workflow_run trigger, cost optimization, redundant run cancellation
Security and Best Practices
Students can audit, harden, and maintain GitHub Actions workflows following production security standards.
How to prevent script injection attacks in GitHub Actions
script injection, untrusted input, github.event context, intermediate env variable pattern, expression injection, pull request title attack, hardening steps
How to pin GitHub Actions to a commit SHA for supply chain security
SHA pinning, supply chain attack, compromised action, Dependabot for actions, @v4 vs SHA pin, verified action badge, third-party action risk
How to use minimum permissions with GITHUB_TOKEN
permissions block, principle of least privilege, read-all default, write permissions, job-level permissions, permission inheritance, GITHUB_TOKEN scope, security audit
How to scan workflows for security issues with actionlint
actionlint, static analysis for workflows, common workflow errors, expression syntax checking, shellcheck integration, CI integration for actionlint, fixing lint errors
How to manage workflow secrets rotation and audit in GitHub Actions
secret rotation strategy, secret expiration, audit log, GITHUB_TOKEN expiry, environment secret vs repo secret, secret scanning, leaked credential response