Github CI/CD Crash Course

A step-by-step guide to automating your build, test, and deployment process using GitHub Actions.

If you’re pushing code manually and deploying by hand, it’s time to level up.
In this post, I’ll show you how to set up a simple CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions — the easiest way to automate testing and deployment directly from your GitHub repo.

💡 What is GitHub Actions?

GitHub Actions lets you automate workflows in your development lifecycle — from running tests and building your app to deploying it into production.

It’s built right into GitHub, so no extra setup or external tools are needed.

You define everything using a simple YAML file inside .github/workflows/.

⚙️ The Workflow Explained

Here’s a complete example that you can copy and paste

name: CI/CD with GitHub Actions

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Set up Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: ‘14’
      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: npm install
      - name: Run Tests
        run: npm test

  deploy:
    needs: build
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Deploy to Production
        run: |
          if [ ${{ needs.build.result }} = ‘success’ ]; then
            echo “Deployment logic goes here”
          else
            echo “Build failed, skipping deployment”
          fi

---

🔍 How It Works

1. Trigger on Push
The workflow starts automatically every time you push to the main branch.

2. Build Job
GitHub sets up a fresh Ubuntu environment, checks out your code, installs Node.js, and runs your tests.
If the tests pass — great! The workflow moves to the next job.

3. Deploy Job
This one depends on the build job.
It only runs if the build is successful. That ensures no bad code ever gets deployed.

🧠 Why It Matters

This simple setup:

• Prevents broken builds from going live

• Gives you instant feedback when tests fail

• Saves time and reduces human error

• Brings you closer to true Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment

You can expand it further by adding:

• Linting

• Docker builds

• Staging vs production environments

• Notifications via Slack or email

🚀 Final Thoughts

CI/CD doesn’t have to be complex.
Start with a small workflow like this, then build on it as your project grows.

Automation is one of the best investments you can make as a developer — it frees up time, improves reliability, and lets you focus on writing great code.

Course

CI/CD with GitHub Actions

Master CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, automate deployments, and implement DevOps best practices

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