running-github-actions-efficiently

---
name: running-github-actions-efficiently
description: Cut GitHub Actions minutes and wall-clock time without losing coverage — the OS billing multiplier (macOS 10x / Windows 2x / Linux 1x), trigger hygiene that stops push+pull_request double-firing, concurrency that cancels superseded runs, dependency caching keyed on lockfiles, matrix discipline, and auditing scheduled crons that bill 24/7. Use when CI is burning included minutes, when runs feel slow, when setting up a new repo's workflows, or when reviewing an existing workflow for waste.
license: MIT
---

# Running GitHub Actions Efficiently

Actions minutes on **private** repos bill against a monthly included quota; public
repos are free. So cost concentrates in private repos, and a handful of workflows
usually dominate the bill. This skill is the checklist for finding and fixing that
waste. Every fix below preserves what CI actually verifies — none of them trade
away coverage.

## First, know the one number that dominates everything

Minutes are billed **per job**, rounded up to the minute, times a **runner-OS
multiplier**:

| Runner | Multiplier |
|--------|-----------|
| Linux (`ubuntu-*`) | **1x** |
| Windows (`windows-*`) | **2x** |
| macOS (`macos-*`) | **10x** |

A one-minute macOS job costs the same as ten Linux minutes. This single fact
reorders every optimization: **a repo with a few macOS jobs can outspend a repo
with ten times as many Linux jobs.** Before anything else, find your macOS jobs
and ask of each: does this step genuinely need macOS?

- Xcode / Apple-platform builds and tests (`xcodebuild`): yes, macOS is required.
- Linters and formatters (even Swift ones like SwiftLint/SwiftFormat), pure
  unit tests with no Apple frameworks, packaging, doc builds: usually **no** —
  move them to `ubuntu-latest` and cut that job's cost ~10x.

Split the must-be-macOS work into its own job and push everything else to Linux.
If a single macOS job does both (e.g. runs SwiftLint *and* an Xcode build), split
it: a cheap Linux `lint` job plus the macOS `build` job. The tools only parse
source, so the Linux job just checks out and runs them — no toolchain build.

SwiftLint and SwiftFormat both ship self-contained prebuilt Linux binaries, so
"Swift means macOS" is a myth for the linting half of the pipeline:

```yaml
  lint:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest        # 1x, not 10x
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Install SwiftLint & SwiftFormat (Linux)
        run: |
          set -euxo pipefail
          curl -fsSL -o /tmp/sl.zip https://github.com/realm/SwiftLint/releases/download/0.65.0/swiftlint_linux_amd64.zip
          unzip -oq /tmp/sl.zip -d /tmp/sl
          sudo install -m0755 /tmp/sl/swiftlint-static /usr/local/bin/swiftlint
          curl -fsSL -o /tmp/sf.zip https://github.com/nicklockwood/SwiftFormat/releases/download/0.62.1/swiftformat_linux.zip
          unzip -oq /tmp/sf.zip -d /tmp/sf
          sudo install -m0755 /tmp/sf/swiftformat_linux /usr/local/bin/swiftformat
      - run: swiftlint lint
      - run: swiftformat . --lint
```

Use SwiftLint's **`swiftlint-static`** (not the dynamically linked `swiftlint`,
which needs a Swift runtime the bare runner lacks) and SwiftFormat's
`swiftformat_linux` — both are statically linked and run on plain `ubuntu-latest`.
Pin versions in the URL, `curl -f` to fail on a bad download, and reference the
exact binary names rather than a fragile `find`.

**What genuinely can't move.** A SwiftPM target only builds on Linux if its code
and its dependencies do. Two reliable signals it's macOS-pinned: the package
declares `platforms: [.macOS(...)]` only, or it depends on an Apple-focused
library (e.g. `SQLite.swift`, anything importing `AppKit`/`SwiftUI`/`CloudKit`).
Don't gamble a repo's only build job on a Linux move — if `swift build` there
depends on such a package, keep it on macOS. `grep -rE 'import (AppKit|SwiftUI|
Cocoa|CloudKit|CoreData)'` over the target's sources is a fast pre-check.

## Trigger hygiene: stop paying for the same commit twice

The most common silent waste is a workflow that runs **twice on every change**:

```yaml
on:
  push:            # ← no branch filter: fires on EVERY push to EVERY branch
  pull_request:    # ← also fires for the PR built from those same commits
```

When you push a feature branch that has an open PR, the `push` event and the
`pull_request` event both fire a full run of the same commit. On a 10x macOS
runner that doubles the most expensive thing you have.

**Fix — scope `push` to the branches you actually gate on:**

```yaml
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]   # only post-merge commits to main
  pull_request:        # all pre-merge validation happens here
```

Now branch work is validated once (by the PR) and `main` is validated once
(post-merge). No commit is ever built twice for the same reason.

Add **path filters** so unrelated changes don't spin a runner at all:

```yaml
on:
  pull_request:
    paths-ignore: ['**.md', 'docs/**', '.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/**']
```

(Note: a required status check gated on `paths` can block PRs that legitimately
change nothing in-scope — prefer `paths-ignore` for docs, or make the check
non-required, rather than `paths` on a required job.)

## Concurrency: kill superseded runs automatically

Without a `concurrency` block, pushing three commits in quick succession starts
three full runs and lets all three finish. You only care about the last one.

```yaml
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
```

This cancels any in-progress run on the same ref when a newer one starts. It is
the single highest-leverage line for anyone who pushes iteratively or force-pushes
during review. Put it at the top level of every workflow.

One caveat: don't set `cancel-in-progress: true` on workflows that must run to
completion once started — deploys, releases, anything that writes external state.
Scope those with a distinct group and leave cancellation off (or queue them).

## Cache dependencies — keyed on the lockfile

Re-downloading and re-resolving dependencies on every run is pure waste. Cache the
dependency directory, keyed on the **lockfile** so the cache invalidates exactly
when dependencies change, with a `restore-keys` fallback for partial hits.

Most `setup-*` actions have caching built in — prefer it over hand-rolled
`actions/cache` where it exists:

```yaml
# Python (uv)
- uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v6
  with:
    enable-cache: true
    cache-dependency-glob: "uv.lock"

# Python (pip)
- uses: actions/setup-python@v5
  with: { python-version: '3.12', cache: 'pip' }

# Node
- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
  with: { node-version: '20', cache: 'npm' }

# Go
- uses: actions/setup-go@v5
  with: { go-version: '1.22', cache: true }   # caches modules + build cache
```

For ecosystems without built-in caching, use `actions/cache` directly:

```yaml
# Rust (cargo registry + build)
- uses: actions/cache@v4
  with:
    path: |
      ~/.cargo/registry
      ~/.cargo/git
      target
    key: ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-${{ hashFiles('Cargo.lock') }}
    restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-

# SwiftPM (build + package repository cache)
- uses: actions/cache@v4
  with:
    path: |
      .build
      ~/Library/Caches/org.swift.swiftpm
    key: ${{ runner.os }}-spm-${{ hashFiles('Package.resolved') }}
    restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-spm-

# Docker layers (buildx / build-push-action)
- uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
  with:
    cache-from: type=gha
    cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
```

Cache the **dependency graph** (downloaded/resolved packages), not fragile
machine-specific build state. Caching compiler-derived artifacts with absolute
paths (e.g. all of Xcode's `DerivedData`) can produce flaky or wrong builds — the
dependency cache is the safe, high-ROI target.

Two speed wins on macOS runners specifically:

```yaml
# Skip the multi-minute `brew update` when you just need a couple of tools
- run: brew install swiftlint swiftformat
  env:
    HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE: "1"
    HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALL_CLEANUP: "1"
```

## Matrix discipline

A matrix multiplies job count: `os: [ubuntu, macos, windows] × python: [3.10, 3.11,
3.12, 3.13]` is **12 jobs per run**, and the macOS/Windows cells carry the 10x/2x
multipliers. Test broadly, but deliberately:

- Run the **full matrix** on `main` / nightly, and a **minimal matrix** (one OS,
  min+max version) on PRs. `if: github.event_name == 'push'` gates the expensive
  cells.
- `fail-fast: true` (the default) stops the whole matrix on the first failure —
  keep it unless you specifically need every cell's result.
- Test the versions you actually support. Dropping an EOL runtime is free minutes.
- Prefer Linux cells; add macOS/Windows cells only for genuinely OS-specific code.

## Scheduled workflows bill around the clock

A `schedule:` cron runs whether or not anyone touched the repo — so it bills
continuously, forever, and is the easiest thing to forget. Audit every one:

```yaml
on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '*/15 * * * *'   # every 15 min = ~2,880 runs/month. Almost never worth it on Actions.
```

- **Uptime / health checks** do not belong on Actions — a `*/5` or `*/15` cron is
  a runaway meter. Use a purpose-built external monitor (many have free tiers).
- **Daily rebuilds of static content that hasn't changed** (e.g. redeploying a
  site on a timer) are wasted runs — deploy on push instead, and keep a
  `workflow_dispatch:` for manual rebuilds.
- **DST/timezone hacks** that register two crons and gate one out still pay the
  runner spin-up (checkout + toolchain setup) for the run that no-ops. Gate
  *before* the setup steps, or compute the schedule so only one fires.
- Genuinely periodic jobs (a real nightly build) are fine — just right-size the
  frequency to how often the input actually changes.

Find them all across a repo:

```bash
grep -rl "schedule:" .github/workflows/
```

## Failures and long runs still bill

- A job that fails at minute 9 of 10 bills all 9. Order steps cheap-to-expensive
  and lint/typecheck **before** the long build, so bad commits die fast.
- Add a `timeout-minutes:` to every job so a hung step can't burn the max 6-hour
  runner allotment.
- Flaky tests that auto-retry the whole workflow multiply cost — fix the flake
  rather than papering over it with reruns.

## Measure before and after

Don't guess which workflow is expensive — measure:

- **Repo/org billing:** Settings → Billing → this month's Actions minutes, and
  the per-repo breakdown.
- **Per-run breakdown (API):** `/repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runs/{id}/timing`
  returns billable milliseconds split by OS multiplier.
- **What runs most (API):** `/repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runs?created=>=YYYY-MM-DD`
  — count runs per workflow and note the triggering `event`. A workflow with far
  more runs than you have merges is double-firing or over-scheduled.

Fix the top one or two offenders first; the distribution is almost always
long-tailed.

## Checklist

```
Audit:
- [ ] Identified every macOS/Windows job (10x/2x) — each justified, or moved to Linux
- [ ] Listed every schedule: cron and confirmed each is worth running 24/7
- [ ] Compared runs-per-workflow to merge frequency (excess = double-fire/over-schedule)

Triggers:
- [ ] push scoped to gated branches (e.g. [main]); pull_request handles pre-merge
- [ ] No workflow builds the same commit on both push and pull_request
- [ ] paths-ignore excludes docs/markdown-only changes

Concurrency:
- [ ] concurrency + cancel-in-progress on CI workflows
- [ ] Deploy/release workflows use a distinct group and do NOT cancel mid-run

Caching & speed:
- [ ] Dependencies cached, keyed on the lockfile, with restore-keys
- [ ] setup-* built-in caching used where available
- [ ] Cheap checks (lint/typecheck) run before the long build; jobs have timeout-minutes
- [ ] macOS brew steps skip auto-update (HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE)

Matrix:
- [ ] Full matrix on main/nightly; reduced matrix on PRs
- [ ] Only supported runtime versions; only necessary OSes
```

For the correctness side of CI (what a gate should actually *check* per language),
see the language-specific project/setup skills. This skill is about making that
gate **cheap and fast** without weakening it.