GH-200 GitHub Actions
Master GitHub Actions for CI/CD automation — workflows, triggers, custom actions, enterprise governance, security best practices (OIDC + artifact attestations), and performance optimization. Aligned to the August 2026 exam blueprint.
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Exam Preparation Included
Practice with real exam-style questions for the GH-200 certification. AI-powered feedback helps you understand every answer.
About This Course
Prepare for the GH-200 GitHub Actions certification (August 2026 exam objectives). This hands-on course covers workflow authoring with triggers, matrix strategies, and service containers; custom JavaScript, Docker, and composite actions; enterprise governance with runner management, required workflows, and organization policies; security best practices including OIDC federation to Azure / AWS / GCP, actions/attest-build-provenance for SLSA provenance, and Fine-Grained PAT vs GitHub App token identity choices; and performance optimization with actions/cache@v6 and matrix concurrency tuning. Students use their own GitHub account. All workflow samples are pinned to current-stable action versions (checkout@v7, setup-node@v6, upload-artifact@v7, download-artifact@v8) and current-supported runner labels (ubuntu-24.04 / windows-2025 / macos-26); Node 24 LTS is the recommended default per the August 2026 Node.js LTS schedule.
Course Curriculum
26 Lessons
Workflow Triggers and Events
Learn about configuring workflows for scheduled, manual, webhook, and repository events. Covers workflow_dispatch inputs, workflow_call with inputs and secrets, and choosing appropriate scope and permissions.
Workflow Triggers and Events - Lab Exercises
Configure workflows for scheduled/manual/webhook/repository events, workflow_dispatch inputs with types/required/defaults, workflow_call with inputs and secrets mapping, choosing appropriate scope and permissions
Workflow Structure Jobs and Steps
Learn about jobs, steps, conditional logic, job dependencies with needs, workflow commands, environment variables, service containers, and matrix strategies.
Workflow Structure Jobs and Steps - Lab Exercises
Jobs/steps/conditional logic, job dependencies with needs, workflow commands and environment variables, service containers (databases/queues with ports/health checks), strategy and matrix (OS/runtime versions, include/exclude, fail-fast, max-parallel)
Contexts Expressions and Advanced YAML
Learn about predefined contexts, expressions with dollar-brace syntax, static vs runtime evaluation, YAML anchors and aliases, editor tooling, and preventing secret leakage.
Contexts Expressions and Advanced YAML - Lab Exercises
Predefined contexts (github/runner/env/vars/secrets/inputs/matrix/needs), expressions with ${{ }}, static vs runtime evaluation, YAML anchors and aliases, editor tooling (VS Code extension, schema validation), preventing secret leakage
Workflow Outputs Caching and Artifacts
Learn about caching with actions/cache, artifact management, retention policies, passing data between jobs, job summaries, and workflow status badges.
Workflow Outputs Caching and Artifacts - Lab Exercises
Caching with actions/cache, artifact management with actions/upload-artifact and download-artifact, retention policies via REST API, passing data between jobs (outputs/GITHUB_ENV/GITHUB_OUTPUT), job summaries with GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY, workflow status badges
Consuming and Troubleshooting Workflows
Learn about interpreting workflow behavior from config and logs, diagnosing failed runs, matrix expansions and selective reruns, locating logs and artifacts, workflow templates, and disabling vs deleting workflows.
Consuming and Troubleshooting Workflows - Lab Exercises
Interpreting workflow behavior from config and logs, diagnosing failed runs, interpreting matrix expansions and selective reruns, locating logs and artifacts in UI and API, workflow templates (starter vs reusable vs composite), disabling vs deleting workflows
Reusable Workflows and Starter Templates
Learn about organization-level workflow templates, reusable workflows via workflow_call, starter workflows, differentiating starter vs reusable vs composite actions, and consuming non-public organization templates.
Reusable Workflows and Starter Templates - Lab Exercises
Organization-level workflow templates, reusable workflows via workflow_call, starter workflows (public and private), differentiating starter vs reusable vs composite actions, consuming non-public organization templates, customizing and adapting templates
Creating Custom Actions
Learn about action types (JavaScript, Docker, composite), immutable actions on hosted runners, required files and directory structure, action.yml metadata, workflow commands within actions, and troubleshooting action execution.
Creating Custom Actions - Lab Exercises
Action types (JavaScript/Docker/composite), immutable actions on hosted runners, required files and directory structure, action.yml metadata, workflow commands within actions, troubleshooting action execution
Distributing and Maintaining Actions
Learn about distribution models, Marketplace publishing, versioning strategies, commit SHA pinning, release management, and action deprecation workflows.
Distributing and Maintaining Actions - Lab Exercises
Distribution models, Marketplace publishing, versioning strategies, commit SHA pinning, release management, and action deprecation workflows
Enterprise Governance and Runners
Learn about enterprise policies, runner types (hosted/self-hosted), runner groups, IP allow lists, preinstalled software, runner labels, and organization-level runner management.
Enterprise Governance and Runners - Lab Exercises
Enterprise policies, runner types (hosted/self-hosted), runner groups, IP allow lists, preinstalled software, runner labels, and organization-level runner management
Secrets Variables and Enterprise Management
Learn about encrypted secrets at org/repo/environment levels, configuration variables, REST API secret management, audit logs, and secret rotation strategies.
Secrets Variables and Enterprise Management - Lab Exercises
Encrypted secrets at org/repo/environment levels, configuration variables, REST API secret management, audit logs, and secret rotation strategies
Security Best Practices
Learn about environment protections, GITHUB_TOKEN permissions, OIDC federation, script injection prevention, artifact attestations, and SLSA framework compliance.
Security Best Practices - Lab Exercises
Environment protections, GITHUB_TOKEN permissions, OIDC federation, script injection prevention, artifact attestations, SLSA framework compliance
Optimizing Workflow Performance
Learn about caching strategies, retention policies, scaling runners, cost management, concurrency controls, and workflow optimization techniques.
Optimizing Workflow Performance - Lab Exercises
Caching strategies, retention policies, scaling runners, cost management, concurrency controls, and workflow optimization techniques
Capstone: Building a Production CI/CD Pipeline
Capstone briefing for GH-200. Through the lens of a fictional company (Apex Drone Delivery), this lesson ties together every domain on the exam — triggers, reusable workflows, custom actions, OIDC, secrets, attestation, caching, environment protections, and observability — into a single coherent production pipeline.
Capstone: Building a Production CI/CD Pipeline - Lab Exercises
Hands-on capstone for GH-200. Build Apex Drone Delivery's end-to-end CI/CD pipeline — caller workflow, reusable platform workflow, a composite security-scan action, a JavaScript notifier action, OIDC cloud federation, attestation, caching, and an approval-gated production environment. Everything you've learned in one project.
This course includes:
- 24/7 AI Instructor Support
- Live Lab Environments
- 13 Hands-on Lessons
- Exam Prep Included
- Completion Badge
Earn Your Badge
Complete all lessons to unlock the GH-200 GitHub Actions achievement badge.
GH-200 GitHub Actions
Demonstrates proficiency in GitHub Actions — workflow authoring, CI/CD automation, custom actions, enterprise management, security, and optimization.
Skills You'll Earn
Complete all lessons in this course to earn this badge