Check and update GitHub Actions versions. Use when creating, modifying, or reviewing GitHub Actions workflow files (.github/workflows/*.yml), or when asked to ensure actions are up to date.
View on GitHubplugin/github-actions-version-check/skills/github-actions-version-check/SKILL.md
February 1, 2026
Select agents to install to:
npx add-skill https://github.com/llimllib/aver/blob/main/plugin/github-actions-version-check/skills/github-actions-version-check/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill github-actions-version-checkInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/github-actions-version-check/# GitHub Actions Version Check Ensures GitHub Actions in workflow files use up-to-date versions. ## Prerequisites Install aver (GitHub Actions version checker): ```bash go install github.com/llimllib/aver/cmd/aver@latest ``` Or if aver is already in PATH, skip this step. ## Workflow ### When Creating or Modifying Workflow Files 1. **Before adding any action**, check what the latest version is: ```bash # Search GitHub for the action's latest release # Example: for actions/checkout, check https://github.com/actions/checkout/releases ``` 2. **Always use the latest major version** when adding new actions: - Good: `actions/checkout@v4` - Avoid: `actions/checkout@v3` (unless v3 is actually latest) 3. **After making changes**, validate with aver: ```bash aver ``` 4. **If outdated actions are found**, update them to the latest versions shown. ### Checking Existing Workflows Run aver in the project root: ```bash # Human-readable output aver # JSON output for scripting aver --json # Ignore SHA-pinned actions aver --ignore-sha # Only report major version updates aver --ignore-minor ``` ### Understanding Output ``` File Action Current Latest -------------------------- ---------------- ------- ------ .github/workflows/ci.yml actions/checkout v3 v4 ``` This means `actions/checkout@v3` should be updated to `actions/checkout@v4`. ### Exit Codes | Code | Meaning | |------|---------| | 0 | All actions up to date | | 1 | Outdated actions found | | 2 | Error occurred | ## Best Practices 1. **Pin to major versions** (`@v4`) not full semver (`@v4.1.2`) unless you need reproducibility 2. **Run aver before committing** workflow changes 3. **For SHA-pinned actions**, aver shows commits behind - update periodically 4. **Set GITHUB_TOKEN** for higher API rate limits: ```bash export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_xxxxx ``` ## Common Actions and Their Repos | Action | Repository | |--------|---------