Semantic Release Action

GitHub Action for [Semantic Release][semantic-url].

Usage

Step1: Set any Semantic Release Configuration in your repository.

Step2: Add Secrets in your repository for the Semantic Release Authentication Environment Variables.

Step3: Add a Workflow File to your repository to create custom automated processes.

Basic Usage:

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

IMPORTANT: GITHUB_TOKEN does not have the required permissions to operate on protected branches. If you are using this action for protected branches, replace GITHUB_TOKEN with Personal Access Token. If using the @semantic-release/git plugin for protected branches, avoid persisting credentials as part of actions/checkout@v7 by setting the parameter persist-credentials: false. This credential does not have the required permission to operate on protected branches.

Private Packages

If you are using this action to publish to the npm [GitHub Packages Registry][github-packages-registry], then make sure that you configure this in your package.json file:

{
  "publishConfig": {
    "registry": "https://npm.pkg.github.com"
  }
}

Inputs

semantic_version

{Optional Input Parameter} Specify version range for semantic-release.
The minimum supported semantic-release version is v16; older versions fail with an error.

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      semantic_version: 19.0.5  # It is recommended to specify a version range
                                # for semantic-release when using
                                # semantic-release-action lower than @v4
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

If no version range is specified with cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7 then semantic-release@latest is used.

branches

{Optional Input Parameter} The branches on which releases should happen.
branches requires semantic-release v16 or above.

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      semantic_version: 16
      # you can set branches for semantic-release v16 or above.
      branches: |
        [
          '+([0-9])?(.{+([0-9]),x}).x',
          'master',
          'next',
          'next-major',
          {
            name: 'beta',
            prerelease: true
          },
          {
            name: 'alpha',
            prerelease: true
          }
        ]
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

branches will override the branches attribute in your configuration file. If the attribute is not configured on both sides, the default is:

[
  '+([0-9])?(.{+([0-9]),x}).x',
  'master',
  'next',
  'next-major',
  {name: 'beta', prerelease: true},
  {name: 'alpha', prerelease: true}
]

See configuration#branches for more information.

NOTE: The branches input is evaluated as a JavaScript expression to support the array/object configuration above. Only pass content you trust — anyone able to edit the workflow file can already run arbitrary commands in your CI.

extra_plugins

{Optional Input Parameter} Extra plugins for pre-install.

The action can be used with extra_plugins option to specify plugins which are not in the default list of plugins of semantic release. When using this option, please make sure that these plugins are also mentioned in your semantic release config's plugins array.

For example, if you want to use @semantic-release/git and @semantic-release/changelog extra plugins, these must be added to extra_plugins in your actions file and plugins in your release config file as shown bellow:

Github Action Workflow:

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      # You can specify specifying version range for the extra plugins if you prefer.
      extra_plugins: |
        @semantic-release/[email protected]
        @semantic-release/git
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

Similar to parameter semantic_version. It is recommended to manually specify a version of semantic-release plugins to prevent errors caused.

NOTE: extra_plugins accepts npm package specs (e.g. @semantic-release/[email protected] or @semantic-release/git@>=10.0.0) separated by whitespace or newlines. Each spec is passed to npm install as a single argument without a shell; tokens starting with - or containing quotes or similar unsafe characters are ignored and reported as a warning. Because whitespace separates specs, version ranges containing spaces (e.g. >=1.0.0 <2.0.0) are not supported. The same rules apply to the extends input.

Release Config:

plugins: [
    .
+   "@semantic-release/changelog"
+   "@semantic-release/git",
  ]

dry_run

{Optional Input Parameter} Whether to run semantic release in dry-run mode.
It will override the dryRun attribute in your configuration file.

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      dry_run: true
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

NOTE: dry-run mode still requires write access to the repository. At startup, semantic-release verifies push permission by running git push --dry-run (verifyAuth), and GitHub enforces write access for dry-run pushes as well — nothing is actually pushed. If the credentials cannot push — for example, the default GITHUB_TOKEN when the job does not grant permissions: contents: write — the action fails with EGITNOPERMISSION: Cannot push to the Git repository. even in dry-run mode. To fix it, grant write permission to the job, e.g. permissions: contents: write (or use a token with write access).

ci

{Optional Input Parameter} Whether to run semantic release with CI support (default true).

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      ci: false
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

ci can be used, e.g in combination with dry_run when generating the next release version in pull requests, where semantic_release would normally block the execution.

extends

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      # You can extend an existing shareable configuration.
      # And you can specify version range for the shareable configuration if you prefer.
      extends: |
        @semantic-release/apm-config@^9.0.0
        @mycompany/override-config
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

working_directory

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      # You can select another working directory like a subdirectory for example.
      working_directory: ./code
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

tag_format

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      tag_format: custom-v${version}
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

unset_gha_env

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Temporarily merge PR branch
    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
    run: |
      git config --global user.name github-actions
      git config --global user.email [email protected]
      git merge --no-ff origin/${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }} --message "${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}"
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      unset_gha_env: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
      ci: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && false || '' }}
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

skip_npm_plugin

{Optional Input Parameter} Whether to skip the @semantic-release/npm default plugin.
Useful for running the action in a project that is not a Node.js project (i.e. without a package.json file).

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
      skip_npm_plugin: true
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

The @semantic-release/npm default plugin requires a package.json file in the working directory. Without one, semantic-release fails with SemanticReleaseError: Missing package.json file. (ENOPKG) — even in dry-run mode. Set skip_npm_plugin: true to remove the npm plugin from the default plugins. The default plugins are then replaced with the following list (the default plugins of semantic-release without @semantic-release/npm):

• @semantic-release/commit-analyzer
• @semantic-release/release-notes-generator
• @semantic-release/github

NOTE: NPM_TOKEN is not required when the npm plugin is skipped. Also note that configuring npmPublish: false or private: true on the npm plugin does not avoid the ENOPKG error, as the plugin checks for a package.json file before taking those settings into account. The only way to release a project without a package.json file is to not use the npm plugin at all.

Outputs

Using Output Variables:

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v7
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    id: semantic   # Need an id for output variables
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
- name: Do something when a new release published
    if: steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_published == 'true'
    run: |
      echo ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_version }}
      echo ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_major_version }}
      echo ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_minor_version }}
      echo ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_patch_version }}

Migration Notes

The branch input has been removed

- name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v7
    with:
branch: your-branch
+     branches: your-branch

If the branch input is still passed, the action prints a deprecation warning and ignores it.

semantic-release below v16 is no longer supported

Changelog

License

[version-image]: https://img.shields.io/github/package-json/v/cycjimmy/semantic-release-action

[workflows-badge-image]: https://github.com/cycjimmy/semantic-release-action/workflows/Test%20Release/badge.svg

[release-date-image]: https://img.shields.io/github/release-date/cycjimmy/semantic-release-action [release-url]: https://github.com/cycjimmy/semantic-release-action/releases

[semantic-image]: https://img.shields.io/badge/%20%20%F0%9F%93%A6%F0%9F%9A%80-semantic--release-e10079.svg [semantic-url]: https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release

[license-image]: https://img.shields.io/npm/l/@cycjimmy/semantic-release-action.svg [license-url]: https://github.com/cycjimmy/semantic-release-action/blob/main/LICENSE

[changelog-url]: https://github.com/cycjimmy/semantic-release-action/blob/main/docs/CHANGELOG.md

[github-packages-registry]: https://github.com/features/packages