GitHub Actions Tutorial — Getting Started
Chapter 2 — Getting Started
Time to write your first GitHub Actions workflow. In this chapter, you’ll create a workflow file, trigger it with a push, view the results in the Actions tab, and add a status badge to your README.
By the end of this chapter, you’ll have a working CI pipeline running on every push to your repository.
What You’ll Learn
- How to create a workflow YAML file in
.github/workflows/ - The structure of a workflow:
name,on,jobs,steps - How to trigger workflows manually with
workflow_dispatch - How to view workflow results in the GitHub Actions tab
- How to add a workflow status badge to your README
Topics Covered
1. Your First Workflow
Create a “Hello World” workflow from scratch, push it to GitHub, and watch it run in the Actions tab. This is the fastest way to see GitHub Actions in action.
2. Workflow Structure
Understand the anatomy of a workflow YAML file — name, on, jobs, runs-on, steps, run, and uses. Every workflow you’ll ever write follows this structure.
3. Workflow Dispatch
Learn how to trigger workflows manually from the GitHub UI using workflow_dispatch. Add input parameters so you can customize each manual run.
4. Viewing Results
Navigate the Actions tab: workflow runs, job logs, step-by-step output, annotations, and re-running failed jobs. This is where you’ll spend time debugging.
5. Workflow Badges
Add a status badge to your README that shows whether your latest workflow run passed or failed. A small detail that signals project quality.
Practice
Test your understanding with hands-on exercises.
← Previous: Chapter 1: Introduction
Next: Chapter 3: Triggers & Events →
