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GitHub Actions node
Automations in GitHub: start workflows, track runs, rerun or cancel them. Learn how to configure it, map inputs and outputs, run a test and resolve common errors.
9 min readUpdated
What this node does
Automations in GitHub: start workflows, track runs, rerun or cancel them.
Use GitHub Actions as a clearly defined step in an anymize workflow.
- Processes one input.
- Provides one output for following steps.
- Runs as a regular step in the flow.
Set up the node
- 01Open a workflow and add GitHub Actions from the node catalog.
- 02If your GitHub account is not connected yet, connect it right in the node panel or under Connectors.
- 03Complete the required fields and map values from previous steps.
- 04Run the node with a small test record and inspect its output.
- 05Connect the successful output and activate the workflow after an end-to-end test.
Operations and modes
Choose the required function in Action. The panel then shows the relevant settings.
- List workflows
- Read workflow
- Start workflow
- List runs
- Read run
- Rerun whole run
- Rerun failed jobs
- Cancel run
Settings
| Field | Meaning | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Choices: List workflows, Read workflow, Start workflow, List runs, Read run, Rerun whole run, Rerun failed jobs, Cancel run | Standard |
| Owner (user or org) | The GitHub name the repo belongs to, e.g. anymize. | Standard |
| Repository | Name of the repository, e.g. hello-world. | Standard |
| Count (max. 100) | How many entries to load per request. No effect with "Load all pages", which always loads 100 per page. | Standard |
| Load all pages | Keeps loading pages until everything is there, up to 1000 entries. | Standard |
| Page | Which page to start from, e.g. the next page from the previous request. Empty: the first one. No effect with "Load all pages". | Standard |
| Workflow | ID or file name of the workflow, e.g. ci.yml. | Standard |
| Branch or tag | Which version the workflow runs on, e.g. main. Empty: the repository's default branch. | Standard |
| Inputs | Workflow inputs as a JSON object, up to 25. | Standard |
| Status | Choices: All, Queued, Running, Completed, Succeeded, Failed, Cancelled | Standard |
| Branch | Which branch, e.g. main. | Standard |
| Trigger | E.g. push, pull_request or workflow_dispatch. | Standard |
| Run ID | Configure this value in the node panel. | Standard |
| GitHub account | Leave empty and the step uses your connected GitHub account. | Standard |
| Run once per item | Off (default): the node runs once for the whole input. On: if it receives several items (e.g. from Split Out), it runs once PER item, and {{ $json }} is that one item each time. This is how you work through a file list entry by entry. | Standard |
| If one item fails | "Skip" writes an `error` field for the failed item and keeps processing the rest, instead of losing the whole run to a single unreadable file. | Standard |
| Pause between items (milliseconds) | Wait before every run except the first. 1000 = 1 second per item. Useful when the other side would otherwise throttle you. Maximum 300000 (5 minutes). | Standard |
Inputs and outputs
| Input | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Receives the complete result from the previous step. | JSON |
| Output | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Makes the result available to the next step as JSON. | JSON |
This node can process lists item by item. Error handling and the delay between items are available in advanced settings.
Example and test run
Get latest runs: begin with a small, recognizable record. Inspect the output and only map fields that are present there.
Test-run example
{
"owner": "octocat",
"repo": "Hello-World"
}Access and security
The node works with your own connected GitHub account. It only sees and changes what this account is allowed to. Check the permissions shown when you connect. The matching area (Issues, Pull Requests, Repos) must also be switched on in the settings of your GitHub connection under Connectors. All areas are on by default.
"Allowed actions" in the settings of your GitHub connection under Connectors also applies to this node and is checked on every run. With "Read only" or "Read and draft", only the read actions run: List workflows, Read workflow, List runs, Read run. These actions need "Allow changes": Start workflow, Rerun whole run, Rerun failed jobs, Cancel run.
Keys and credentials belong in Workflow Secrets or your connected accounts. Never paste them as plain text into workflow fields, test data or descriptions.
Troubleshooting
- No output: inspect the latest run and confirm that the previous node returned the expected fields.
- Empty variable: open the previous step output and use a field name from the real test data.
- Connection rejected: reconnect the service and grant the permissions required by this step.
- Action blocked: set "Allowed actions" of the connection under Connectors to "Allow changes", or pick a read action.
- List processed once: enable per-item execution in advanced settings.