Github CI Triage

GitHub CI Triage

Use this skill to investigate GitHub Actions failures from this repository. Prefer the GitHub CLI (gh) when it is installed and authenticated because it can read private repository runs without the user pasting logs.

Guardrails

• Never print, request, or expose token values, npm tokens, GitHub PATs, or secret contents. Secret names and last-updated timestamps are safe.
• Do not rerun release, deploy, publish, or production-impacting workflows unless the user clearly asks to retry that workflow.
• Do not assume a failure is in "CI" just because the user says CI. Check all recent workflows for the relevant branch, PR, and commit.
• Preserve unrelated worktree changes. Do not use destructive git commands.

Fast Path

1. Identify local context:

git status --short --branch
git remote -v
git branch --show-current
git log -1 --oneline --decorate

2. Check GitHub CLI access:

command -v gh
gh auth status

If gh is missing, tell the user to install it or provide a run URL/logs. If gh is present but not authenticated, tell the user to run gh auth login.

3. List relevant runs, broadening scope as needed:

gh run list --branch <current-branch> --limit 20
gh run list --limit 20
gh pr status
gh pr view --json number,title,headRefName,baseRefName,state,url,statusCheckRollup

For a known PR number, use:

gh pr checks <pr-number>

4. Inspect the failing run:

gh run view <run-id> --json name,displayTitle,event,headBranch,headSha,status,conclusion,jobs,url
gh run view <run-id> --log-failed

Read the failed job and failed step first. Capture the workflow name, run URL, job name, step name, event, branch, commit SHA, and the first concrete error.

Diagnosis Pattern

• If PR checks pass but a push workflow fails, say so explicitly and distinguish PR CI from main-branch release/deploy workflows.
• If the error mentions permissions, pull requests, pushes, packages, secrets, or authentication, inspect the workflow file and secret names:

rg -n "permissions|github-token|GITHUB_TOKEN|secrets\\.|NPM_TOKEN|pull-requests|contents" .github package.json scripts packages -g '!node_modules'
gh secret list --repo <owner>/<repo>

Do not attempt to read secret values. Explain which secret or repository setting likely needs to change.

• If logs point to a code, lint, typecheck, test, package, or lockfile failure, reproduce locally with the repository's documented commands, usually from AGENTS.md.
• If the run logs are too large or truncated, inspect the specific job log:

gh run view <run-id> --job <job-id> --log

Download artifacts or full logs only as needed.

Retrying

For normal CI after a fix or when the user asks to retry:

gh run rerun <run-id> --failed
gh run watch <run-id>

For workflow dispatch:

gh workflow run <workflow-file-or-name> --ref <branch>
gh run list --workflow <workflow-file-or-name> --limit 5

Before rerunning release, deploy, publish, or production workflows, state the potential side effect and wait for clear user intent if it was not already given.

Response Shape

Keep the answer concise and include:

• failing workflow and run link
• failing job and step
• exact error summary
• likely root cause
• concrete next action or fix
• whether local reproduction or rerun was performed