How to test Github Actions?

[MaximilianAnzinger]

PRs that change workflows are difficult to test. Are there good/easy solutions to test these PRs so that it's not necessary to merge them blindly?

[MaximilianAnzinger]

Solution 1

Many actions rely on the trigger pull_request_target.
For testing run the action on every pull request.

Example for PR Labeler:
Replace:

name: Pull Request Labeler
on: [pull_request_target]

with:

name: Pull Request Labeler
on:
- pull_request

In the actions section of the PR you will now see both, the action from our dev-branch and the action of this branch.

Important

Remember to revert this change before merging it.

Solution 2

Many seem to appreciate the open source project Act. You can either manually install it or for Mac users it is also available via HomeBrew.