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GitHub Actions: What Workflow Event is Used to Manually Trigger Workflow Run?

By: Author Alex Lim

Posted on

Categories Exam

Learn about the workflow_dispatch event in GitHub Actions, the specific trigger used to manually start workflows. Understand its functionality and how to configure it for manual execution.

Question

Which workflow event is used to manually trigger a workflow run?

A. create
B. workflow_dispatch
C. workflow_run
D. status

Answer

B. workflow_dispatch

Explanation

The correct answer is workflow_dispatch, which is the GitHub Actions event specifically designed to manually trigger a workflow run. This event allows users to initiate workflows on demand, either through the GitHub UI or via API calls, providing flexibility for tasks like manual deployments, testing, or other controlled processes.

Purpose

The workflow_dispatch event enables users to start workflows manually, supplementing automated triggers like push, pull_request, or scheduled events. It is particularly useful when you need precise control over when a workflow runs.

Configuration

To enable manual triggering, you must define the workflow_dispatch event in your workflow YAML file under the on key. Here’s an example:

name: Manual Trigger Example
on:
workflow_dispatch:
inputs:
environment:
description: 'Environment to deploy'
required: true
default: 'staging'

jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
– name: Print Environment
run: echo “Deploying to ${{ github.event.inputs.environment }}”

How It Works

  1. Once configured, go to the Actions tab in your GitHub repository.
  2. Select the workflow with the workflow_dispatch trigger.
  3. Click the “Run workflow” button and provide any required inputs (if defined).
  4. The workflow will then execute with the specified parameters.

Key Features

  • Custom Inputs: You can define inputs (e.g., environment variables) that users must specify when triggering the workflow.
  • Flexibility: Ideal for scenarios like manual deployments or running workflows outside of automated schedules.
  • UI and API Support: Can be triggered via the GitHub web interface or programmatically using GitHub’s REST API.

Why Not Other Options?

A. create: This event triggers workflows when a branch or tag is created, not for manual execution.
C. workflow_run: This event triggers workflows based on the completion of another workflow, not manually.
D. status: This event relates to commit status updates and does not support manual triggering.

Practical Use Cases for workflow_dispatch

  • Deploying code to production after a manual review.
  • Running ad-hoc tests with specific parameters.
  • Executing maintenance scripts or one-off tasks.

By understanding and using workflow_dispatch, you can enhance your control over GitHub Actions workflows, making it an essential tool for tasks requiring manual intervention.

The workflow_dispatch event is used to manually trigger a workflow run in GitHub Actions. You can specify this event in the workflow file to allow users to manually trigger the workflow from the GitHub UI, often with optional input parameters.

GitHub Actions certification exam assessment practice question and answer (Q&A) dump including multiple choice questions (MCQ) and objective type questions, with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the GitHub Actions exam and earn GitHub Actions certification.