Nov 83 min read

How to Automate Your GitHub Actions CI/CD Pipeline using GitHub REST API

Automating your Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline is a game-changer for software development teams striving for efficiency, quality, and rapid delivery. CI/CD automation accelerates development cycles by reducing manual intervention, automating repetitive tasks, and saving time for developers to focus on actual tasks.

GitHub Actions provides a powerful platform for creating workflows for such automation, and its API offers even greater flexibility and control. In this guide, we'll walk through an example of a simple Node.js project and demonstrate how to automate GitHub Actions using the GitHub REST API.

Steps to Automate your GitHub Actions CI/CD Pipeline:

Prerequisite

Before we start, make sure you have the following:

A GitHub account.
Basic knowledge of using the GitHub and command line.
Node.js is installed on your machine.

Step 1: Setup your GitHub Repository

To begin automating your CI/CD pipeline, you'll need a GitHub repository with some code to work on. If you haven't created a new repository yet, make one and clone it on your local machine.

You can also use our Sample Node.js Project. Fork this project and clone it. Do give this repository a star if you liked it :)

GitHub Repository: GitHub Actions Automation using GitHub Rest API Demo

Step 2: Create a Personal Access Token (PAT)

Navigate to Settings and Access Developer Settings.
Click on Personal Access Token and then on Tokens (classic).
Click on Generate new token by providing the necessary configurations
- Note: Give your token a descriptive name.
- Select Scopes: For your use case, select at least the following scopes:
  - Repo: Full control of private repositories.
  - Workflow: Update GitHub Action workflow permissions.
- Click Generate token.
Copy the generated token immediately. You won't be able to see it again.

Step 3: Write your Automation Script

We will use a Node.js server to build an endpoint that sends a POST request to the GitHub REST API to initiate your GitHub Actions workflow from within your application.

This script will make the automation of your CI/CD pipeline interactive and user-friendly by allowing you to start the workflow from a primary frontend interface.

app.post('/trigger-workflow', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const response = await axios.post(
      `https://api.github.com/repos/YOUR_USERNAME/automate-github-actions-using-rest-api/actions/workflows/main.yml/dispatches`,
      { ref: "main" },
      {
        headers: {
          Authorization: `token ${process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN}`,
          Accept: 'application/vnd.github.v3+json',
        },
      }
    );
    res.json({ message: 'Workflow triggered successfully!' });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).json({ message: 'Failed to trigger workflow', error: error.message });
  }
});

Set Up Environment Variables: Create a .env file in the root of your project with the following content:

GITHUB_TOKEN=your_personal_access_token

Replace your_personal_access_token with the GitHub Personal Access Token you generated in Step 2.

Step 4: Monitor Workflow Execution

Now go to your GitHub repository >> click on the Actions and check your workflows.

Conclusion

Automating your GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline using the GitHub REST API adds a robust layer of flexibility and control to your development workflow. This approach enables developers to programmatically trigger, monitor, and manage CI/CD processes, which is especially useful for automating repetitive tasks and integrating CI/CD triggers in custom applications. With this setup, you’ve created an efficient, interactive CI/CD system that saves time, reduces errors, and improves development speed.

FAQs

1. Why use GitHub Actions for CI/CD?

GitHub Actions provides a native, integrated CI/CD solution directly within GitHub. It offers seamless integration, extensive customization, and strong community support for workflows.

2. What permissions are needed for the GitHub token?

The token requires repo and workflow permissions to manage and trigger workflows.

3. Can I trigger workflows on branches other than main?

Modify the ref in the API request and ensure the workflow file (main.yml) is configured to run on that branch.

4. What if I see a CORS error when triggering the workflow?

CORS errors typically occur due to cross-origin requests. Ensure CORS is enabled on your server (app.use(cors());), or configure it to allow requests from specific origins.