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GitHub Actions: The Complete Guide from Beginner to Expert

Name: GitHub Actions: The Complete Guide from Beginner to Expert
Rating: 4.6 (1141 reviews)

Learn the most important GitHub Actions concepts to build resilient CI/CD pipelines and automate many development tasks!

Bestseller

Highest Rated

Created byLauro Fialho Müller

Last updated 6/2026

English

Danish [Auto],German [Auto],

What you'll learn

How to work with the building blocks of workflows in GitHub Actions
Strategies to automate many tasks of the software development lifecycle
Best practices around designing solid CI/CD pipelines
Advanced concepts such as custom actions and reusable workflows
How to secure workflows against common vulnerabilities
Different ways to trigger and schedule automated tasks on Github Actions

Course content

20 sections • 115 lectures • 12h 16m total length

Welcome!1:04
Master GitHub Actions from basics to advanced concepts by building real workflows, exploring triggers, caches, artifacts, custom actions, and reusable workflows, with best practices for secure CI/CD pipelines.
Let's Stay Connected0:21
Time to get started!0:22
Course Resources0:16
How to Navigate the Course3:20
Learn to navigate this course efficiently by using section directories with readme files and code. Track progress with commits, search the repository, and review workflow histories.
Code and Repository Updates1:30

IMPORTANT! NodeJS Version0:30
Setup NodeJS4:42
Set up node on your machine across Windows, macOS, and Linux using the installer, nvm, or asdf. Manage multiple node versions with nvm and use asdf plugins for other languages.
Alternative to Setting Up the Local Environment - Using GitHub Codespaces3:14
Use GitHub Codespaces as a quick alternative to local setup, providing an online VS Code environment with node, python, and git, and up to 60 hours free per month.
Creating a GitHub Repository for the Course6:41
Create a new public GitHub repository for the course with a readme and gitignore, initialize with git, set the main branch, and configure SSH for pushing.
YAML in 5 Minutes5:40
Learn YAML basics for configuring GitHub actions workflows, covering primitives, strings, numbers, booleans, quotes, dictionaries, arrays, and the critical role of indentation and nesting.

Theory - Building Blocks5:42
Explore the building blocks of GitHub actions—workflows, jobs, and steps—defining triggers, environments (Linux, Windows, or Mac), and execution order, with tips on parallelism and common terminology.
Practical Exercise 01 - Creating Our First Workflow1:03
Practical Exercise 01 - Solution & Discussion12:57
Create a GitHub workflow in a dedicated workflows folder with two jobs: echo hello and echo goodbye. Show how a failing step stops the rest on push, then run steps.
GitHub Actions Building Blocks

Theory - Workflow Events4:17
Explore how workflow events act as triggers for GitHub actions, including pushes, issues, pull requests, reviews, forks, deployments, and scheduling via cron expressions.
Practical Exercise 02 - Using Different Events to Trigger Workflows1:36
Practical Exercise 02 - Solution & Discussion14:27
Learn to configure GitHub actions workflow events by defining the on property in a YAML file, and test push, pull request, schedule, and workflow_dispatch triggers.
Event Triggers

Theory - GitHub and Self-Hosted Runners4:31
Explore GitHub Actions runners, comparing standard hosted VMs for Windows, Ubuntu, and Mac with self-hosted runners, and learn per-job VM isolation, security considerations, and public repository cautions.
Practical Exercise 03 - Working with Windows and Ubuntu Runners1:19
Practical Exercise 03 - Solution & Discussion8:09
Create and test cross-platform GitHub actions workflows by writing a YAML file for Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS runners, printing the runner OS, and validating environment variables and shell behavior.
Workflow Runners

Theory - Actions10:01
Learn how GitHub actions replace repetitive shell steps by encapsulating setup tasks such as node version in actions, configure them with key-value pairs, and audit marketplace actions for secure, flexible workflows.
IMPORTANT! NodeJS and Actions Versions0:22
Practical Exercise 04 - Working with Third-Party Custom Actions2:52
Practical Exercise 04 - Solution & Discussion15:40
Learn how to build and test a React app with GitHub Actions by creating a workflow that checks out code, sets up Node, installs dependencies, and runs tests.
Using Third-Party Actions

Theory - Event Filters5:38
Understand how event filters control when workflows run by specifying branches, paths, tags, and glob patterns, with all filters required for a trigger.
Theory - Activity Types5:31
Explore activity types in GitHub actions, filtering pull request lifecycles—opened or synchronized—and enforcing base branches like main or release to trigger workflows.
Practical Exercise 05 - Using Filters and Activity Types1:39
Practical Exercise 05 - Solution & Discussion10:21
Learn to configure event filters and activity types in GitHub Actions, using pull requests and main branch, and validate workflows with an echo job across opened, synchronized, and closed PRs.
Filters and Activity Types

Theory - Contexts5:27
Learn how workflow contexts, such as GitHub, runs, jobs, env, inputs, and vars, provide data for customizing executions while noting that context availability varies by workflow step.
Practical Exercise 06 - Working with Different Contexts3:24
Practical Exercise 06 - Solution & Discussion18:27
Explore GitHub actions contexts, including GitHub and env contexts, by building a practical workflow that prints event data, refs, actor, run details, and uses repository variables and inputs.

Theory - Expressions3:18
Explore expressions in GitHub actions to create dynamic values from contexts, literals, and built-in functions, and learn to control step execution using the if keyword.
Practical Exercise 07 - Working with Expressions2:18
Practical Exercise 07 - Solution & Discussion12:59
Master expressions in GitHub Actions by building a workflow with push and workflow_dispatch triggers. Define inputs, conditional steps, and debug statements to print runner and event data.
Theory - Variables3:15
Learn to define and override variables in GitHub Actions across workflow, job, and step using env, and grasp the precedence and access patterns via the vars context.
Practical Exercise 08 - Environment Variables1:35
Practical Exercise 08 - Solution & Discussion9:09
Explore practical exercise 08 by defining and printing variables in a yaml workflow, using env context and echo commands. Learn about on push and workflow_dispatch triggers.
Practical Exercise 09 - Organization, Repository, and Environment Variables2:51
Practical Exercise 09 - Solution & Discussion14:53
Learn to manage organization, repository, and environment variables in GitHub Actions using the vars context and environment overrides for staging and prod deployments.
Context, Expressions and Variables

Theory - Functions9:11
Discover how to leverage general purpose and status check functions in GitHub Actions, including contains, from Json, and hash files, to model data, control flow, and caching.
Practical Exercise 10 - Using Functions in Workflows2:30
Practical Exercise 10 - Solution & Discussion16:47
Explore how to use functions in GitHub workflows by creating a pull request triggered yaml, with conditional steps, PR title and labels access, and dispatch and cancel workflows.

Requirements

No prior GitHub Actions experience needed, you will learn everything during the course!
Basic familiarity with programming and git concepts is recommended.

Description

Unlock the full potential of GitHub Actions with my in-depth course designed to empower developers, DevOps engineers, and software teams to streamline their workflows and boost productivity. Throughout this course, we will delve into the intricacies of GitHub Actions, exploring its building blocks, advanced features, and best practices for effective automation of software development tasks. In today's fast-paced development landscape, GitHub Actions has emerged as a game-changer, providing developers with a dynamic and robust platform to automate workflows, increase collaboration, and propel projects to new heights.

Why GitHub Actions Matters:

GitHub Actions is pivotal for developers and DevOps practitioners, representing a cornerstone in modern software development. It enables the automation of repetitive tasks and reduces manual intervention across the development lifecycle, making it faster and more reliable. Integrated seamlessly into the GitHub platform, GitHub Actions creates a unified environment where version control, collaboration, and automation converge.

Developers benefit from GitHub Actions' tailored support for Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD) workflows, facilitating the automated integration and deployment of code changes. This accelerates feedback loops, ensures early issue detection, and enables rapid, reliable software delivery. The platform's flexibility allows developers to define custom workflows, meeting specific project requirements and fostering a culture of adaptability and innovation.

GitHub Actions is not just a tool; it is a community-driven innovation. Developers and DevOps practitioners tap into a thriving community, sharing workflows, contributing to actions, and evolving the ecosystem collectively. In essence, GitHub Actions emerges as a versatile, collaborative, and secure automation solution, tailored to meet the demands of the dynamic and fast-paced world of modern software development and deployment.

Why Enroll in This Course:

This course isn't just about learning GitHub Actions; it's about mastering it. By the end, you won't just have a theoretical understanding – you'll have a hands-on, practical mastery that you can apply immediately to your projects. Here's why this course is a must for every developer:

Benefit from 30+ Practical Exercises: It's all about practice! Dive right into creating your first workflow just minutes into the course, and progressive create more complex CI/CD pipelines with every section.
Stay Ahead in the Game: GitHub Actions is at the forefront of modern development practices. Acquiring expertise in this tool ensures that you stay ahead of the curve, positioning yourself as a leader in the ever-evolving world of software development.
Boost Efficiency and Productivity: Automate mundane and time-consuming tasks, allowing you and your team to focus on what truly matters – building exceptional software. GitHub Actions is your secret weapon for turbocharging productivity.
Collaborate with Confidence: Streamline collaboration by automating code reviews, testing, and deployments. GitHub Actions brings teams together, fostering a culture of collaboration that leads to faster and more reliable software delivery.
Adapt to Agile Development: In the era of Agile and DevOps, adaptability is key. GitHub Actions provides the flexibility needed to adapt workflows to changing project requirements, making it an indispensable tool in the modern developer's arsenal.
Open the Door to Innovation: GitHub Actions isn't just about automation; it's about innovation. Unlock new possibilities, experiment fearlessly, and bring your boldest ideas to life with a tool that supports your creativity.

Skills You'll Gain:

By enrolling in this course, you're not just learning about GitHub Actions – you're gaining skills that are crucial in today's development world:

Automate workflows for faster and more reliable software delivery.
Collaborate seamlessly with team members, breaking down silos.
Implement best practices in workflow security, ensuring the safety of your codebase.
Develop custom actions tailored to your project's unique requirements.
Optimize workflows for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Ready to embark on this exhilarating journey? Join this course today and transform yourself into a developer equipped with the skills that define success in the dynamic world of modern software development! Let's automate, innovate, and elevate together!

Who this course is for:

Developers looking to expand their knowledge on GitHub Actions and CI/CD
DevOps practitioners looking to learn how to work with GitHub Actions
Developers looking to learn how to automate tasks and workflows with GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions: The Complete Guide from Beginner to Expert

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction6 lectures • 7min

Tools and Initial Setup5 lectures • 21min

Github Actions Building Blocks3 lectures • 20min

Event Triggers3 lectures • 20min

Workflow Runners3 lectures • 14min

Using Third-Party Actions4 lectures • 29min

Event Filters and Activity Types4 lectures • 23min

Using Contexts3 lectures • 27min

Expressions & Variables8 lectures • 50min

Functions3 lectures • 28min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: