**Quick Reference** - Test GitHub Actions workflows locally using nektos/act
Test GitHub Actions workflows locally using nektos/act before pushing. Automatically triggers when you mention testing workflows, debugging CI failures, or need to validate `.github/workflows/*.yml` files.
/plugin marketplace add FortiumPartners/ensemble/plugin install ensemble-git@ensembleThis skill inherits all available tools. When active, it can use any tool Claude has access to.
REFERENCE.mdscripts/run-act.jstemplates/act-config.yamlQuick Reference - Test GitHub Actions workflows locally using nektos/act
Run GitHub Actions workflows locally before pushing to validate CI/CD pipelines, catch errors early, and reduce iteration time. Uses nektos/act to simulate GitHub Actions runner environment.
.github/workflows/*.yml files locally# Run all workflows (default push event)
act
# Run specific workflow
act -W .github/workflows/test.yml
# Run specific job
act -j build
# Simulate pull request event
act pull_request
# Pass secrets
act -s GITHUB_TOKEN=$GITHUB_TOKEN
# List available workflows and jobs
act -l
# Install act (macOS)
brew install act
# Install act (Linux)
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nektos/act/master/install.sh | sudo bash
# Docker is required
docker --version # Must be installed and running
# Validate test workflow passes
act -j test --dryrun # Preview what would run
act -j test # Actually run tests
# If successful, push
git push origin feature-branch
# Run with verbose output
act -v
# Use specific runner image
act -P ubuntu-latest=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest
# Keep container for debugging
act --reuse
# Run all matrix combinations
act -j build
# Run specific matrix combination
act -j build --matrix os:ubuntu-latest
| GitHub Runner | Act Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
ubuntu-latest | node:16-buster-slim | catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest |
ubuntu-22.04 | node:16-buster-slim | catthehacker/ubuntu:act-22.04 |
ubuntu-20.04 | node:16-buster-slim | catthehacker/ubuntu:act-20.04 |
Pass: Workflow executes successfully locally
Fail: Local execution reveals issues
# .actrc (project root)
-P ubuntu-latest=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest
-P ubuntu-22.04=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-22.04
--secret-file .secrets
--env-file .env
# .secrets (gitignored)
GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx
NPM_TOKEN=npm_xxxxxxxxxxxx
${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} requires manual tokenTarget: <2 minutes for typical test workflow
Load: skills/act-local-ci/REFERENCE.md (~20KB)
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