Semantic Release Action

GitHub Action for Semantic Release.

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@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    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@v4 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, then make sure that you configure this in your package.json file:

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

Inputs

Input Parameter	Required	Description
semantic_version	false	Specify version range for semantic-release. [Details]
branches	false	The branches on which releases should happen.[Details] Support for semantic-release above v16.
branch	false	The branch on which releases should happen.[Details] Only support for semantic-release older than v16.
extra_plugins	false	Extra plugins for pre-install. [Details]
dry_run	false	Whether to run semantic release in dry-run mode. [Details]
ci	false	Whether to run semantic release with CI support. [Details] Support for semantic-release above v16.
extends	false	Use a sharable configuration [Details]
working_directory	false	Use another working directory for semantic release [Details]
tag_format	false	Specify format of tag (useful for monorepos)
repository_url	false	The Git repository url. If no repository url specified, current repository will be used by default.

semantic_version

{Optional Input Parameter} Specify version range for semantic-release.

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    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@v4 then semantic-release version 21.1.1 is used.

branches

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

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    with:
      semantic_version: 16
      # you can set branches for semantic-release above v16.
      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.

branch

{Optional Input Parameter} Similar to parameter branches. The branch on which releases should happen.
branch only supports for semantic-release older than v16.

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    with:
      semantic_version: 15.13.28
      # you can set branch for semantic-release older than v16.
      branch: your-branch
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

It will override the branch attribute in your configuration file. If the attribute is not configured on both sides, the default is master.

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@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    with:
      # You can specify specifying version range for the extra plugins if you prefer.
      extra_plugins: |
        @semantic-release/changelog@6.0.0
        @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.

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@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    with:
      dry_run: true
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

ci

{Optional Input Parameter} Whether to run semantic release with CI support (default true).
ci supports for semantic-release above v16.

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    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

The action can be used with extends option to extend an existing sharable configuration of semantic-release. Can be used in combination with extra_plugins.

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    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

This action run semantic release in the github provided workspace by default. You can override it by setting another working directory.

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    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

The default tag format on semantic-release is v{version}. You can override that behavior using this option (helpful when you are using monorepos)

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    with:
      tag_format: custom-v${version}
    env:
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

Outputs

Output Parameter	Description
new_release_published	Whether a new release was published. The return value is in the form of a string. ("true" or "false")
new_release_version	Version of the new release. (e.g. "1.3.0")
new_release_major_version	Major version of the new release. (e.g. "1")
new_release_minor_version	Minor version of the new release. (e.g. "3")
new_release_patch_version	Patch version of the new release. (e.g. "0")
new_release_channel	The distribution channel on which the last release was initially made available (undefined for the default distribution channel).
new_release_notes	The release notes for the new release.
new_release_git_head	The sha of the last commit being part of the new release
new_release_git_tag	The Git tag associated with the new release.
last_release_version	Version of the previous release, if there was one. (e.g. 1.2.0)
last_release_git_head	The sha of the last commit being part of the last release, if there was one.
last_release_git_tag	The Git tag associated with the last release, if there was one.

Using Output Variables:

steps:
  - name: Checkout
    uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - name: Semantic Release
    uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v4
    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 }}

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.

License

This project is released under the MIT License.