Support setting job timeout-minutes globally for a workflow

[toast-gear]

Describe the enhancement
As part of the default attribute it would be great if you could set the timeout-minutes attribute so you don't need to set a timeout in every job. This will apply to each job independently. You can then override this default global level at the job or step level if those steps or jobs need a different timeout.

With the current default being set to 6 hours almost every job in every workflow needs a timeout-minutes attribute set. I don't mind the default being high, I understand a high timeout reduces confusion, but it is inane that you end up having to set a timeout at every job in every workflow as a result instead of just once at the global level per workflow.

It's worth noting that I am talking about setting the job timeouts globally, not a timeout on the total workflow run time which would be introducing new behaviour. Someone might find a timeout on the workflow run useful but I would think that enhancement would be much more involved. This enhancement would cover most people's needs and is just reducing the amount of syntax you write without changing any behaviour.

Code Snippet

The below would mean every job in that workflow would have its timeout set to 60 minutes.

name: My Awesome Workflow

on:
  push:

default:
  run:
    timeout-minutes: 60

jobs:
  job-one:
    # This job gets a timeout of 60 minutes as set by the global attribute
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: my awesome step
        run: echo foo
  job-two:
    # This job gets a timeout of 60 minutes as set by the global attribute
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: my awesome step
        run: echo bar
  job-three:
    # This job gets a timeout of 5 minutes as set by the job level override
    timeout-minutes: 5
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: my awesome step
        run: echo baz

https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions#defaults
https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions#jobsjob_idstepscontinue-on-error
https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions#jobsjob_idtimeout-minutes

[ethomson]

Hi @toast-gear, this is useful feedback. I've added this to the backlog. Thanks!

[SankarshanDudhate]

@ethomson Any idea about when this feature might become available? We need it badly in our org.

[giner]

If the timeout applies to jobs then it should be at the root level:

default:
  timeout-minutes: 60

Otherwise I'm supporting and hoping for this feature to be implemented

[mihaigalos]

Extrapolating on this idea, would it be possible to set a default timeout policy for i.e. GitHub Enterprise runners' timeout?

Our specific usecase is that we want runners to timeout after say 15 minutes by default.
This means if the user doesn't specify the timeout, the job has a policy-specified default of above^.

[toast-gear]

WARNING THIS IS SPAM!!!! WARNING THIS IS SPAM!!!! WARNING THIS IS SPAM!!!! WARNING THIS IS SPAM!!!!

If you hover over the link it goes to thenavigo.com, not a GitHub Actions workflow run, don't click the link

[ednmechrock]

Any progress on adding a top level workflow timeout-minutes? Having a workflow run for 6 hours before timing out is both expensive and terrible for feedback cycle time.

[avtar]

Please make this happen 🙏 Adding timeouts in multiple places is not as convenient as having a global timeout. Or maybe an option like the one mentioned at https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/14834