/github-project-automation

name: github-project-automation
description: "GitHub repository automation (CI/CD, issue templates, Dependabot, CodeQL). Use for project setup, Actions workflows, security scanning, or encountering YAML syntax, workflow configuration, template structure errors."
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: 2.0.0
  last_verified: 2025-12-17
  optimization_date: 2025-12-17
  errors_prevented: 18
  token_savings: ~75%
  complexity: 8/10
  keywords:
    - github actions
    - github workflow
    - ci/cd
    - issue templates
    - pull request templates
    - dependabot
    - codeql
    - security scanning
    - yaml syntax
    - github automation
    - repository setup
    - workflow templates
    - github actions matrix
    - secrets management
    - branch protection
    - codeowners
    - github projects
    - continuous integration
    - continuous deployment
    - workflow syntax error
    - action version pinning
    - runner version
    - github context
    - yaml indentation error

GitHub Project Automation

**Status**: Production Ready ✅ **Last Updated**: 2025-12-17 **Version**: 2.0.0 (Optimized with progressive disclosure) **Dependencies**: None (git and gh CLI recommended) **Latest Versions**: actions/checkout@v4.2.2, actions/setup-node@v4.1.0, github/codeql-action@v3.27.4

---

Quick Start (15 Minutes)

1. Choose Your Framework

Select the workflow template that matches your project:

# For React/Vite projects
cp templates/workflows/ci-react.yml .github/workflows/ci.yml

# For Node.js libraries (matrix testing)
cp templates/workflows/ci-node.yml .github/workflows/ci.yml

# For Python projects
cp templates/workflows/ci-python.yml .github/workflows/ci.yml

# For Cloudflare Workers
cp templates/workflows/ci-cloudflare-workers.yml .github/workflows/deploy.yml

# For basic projects (any framework)
cp templates/workflows/ci-basic.yml .github/workflows/ci.yml

**Why this matters:**

• Pre-validated YAML prevents syntax errors
• SHA-pinned actions for security
• Explicit runner versions (ubuntu-24.04)
• All 8 GitHub Actions errors prevented

2. Add Issue Templates

# Create directory structure
mkdir -p .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE

# Copy YAML templates (with validation)
cp templates/issue-templates/bug_report.yml .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
cp templates/issue-templates/feature_request.yml .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/

**Why YAML over Markdown:**

• Required field validation (Error #12 prevented)
• Consistent data structure
• Better user experience
• No incomplete issues

3. Enable Security Scanning

# CodeQL for code analysis
cp templates/workflows/security-codeql.yml .github/workflows/codeql.yml

# Dependabot for dependency updates
cp templates/security/dependabot.yml .github/dependabot.yml

**CRITICAL:**

• CodeQL requires specific permissions (security-events: write)
• Dependabot has 10 PR limit per ecosystem
• Both must run on Dependabot PRs (Error #13 prevention)

---

The 5-Step Complete Setup Process

Step 1: Repository Structure

Create the standard GitHub automation directory structure:

# Create all required directories
mkdir -p .github/{workflows,ISSUE_TEMPLATE}

# Verify structure
tree .github/
# .github/
# ├── workflows/        # GitHub Actions workflows
# ├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/   # Issue templates
# └── dependabot.yml    # Dependabot config (root of .github/)

**Key Points:**

• workflows/ is plural
• ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ is singular (legacy naming)
• dependabot.yml goes in .github/, NOT workflows/

Step 2: Select Workflow Templates

Choose workflows based on your project needs:

**Continuous Integration (pick ONE):** 1. `ci-basic.yml` - Generic test/lint/build (all frameworks) 2. `ci-node.yml` - Node.js with matrix testing (18, 20, 22) 3. `ci-python.yml` - Python with matrix testing (3.10, 3.11, 3.12) 4. `ci-react.yml` - React/TypeScript with type checking

**Deployment (optional):** 5. `ci-cloudflare-workers.yml` - Deploy to Cloudflare Workers

**Security (recommended):** 6. `security-codeql.yml` - Code scanning 7. `dependabot.yml` - Dependency updates

**Copy selected templates:**

# Example: React app with security
cp templates/workflows/ci-react.yml .github/workflows/ci.yml
cp templates/workflows/security-codeql.yml .github/workflows/codeql.yml
cp templates/security/dependabot.yml .github/dependabot.yml

Step 3: Configure Secrets (if deploying)

For deployment workflows (Cloudflare, AWS, etc.), add secrets:

# Using gh CLI
gh secret set CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN
# Paste your token when prompted

# Verify
gh secret list

**Critical Syntax:**

# ✅ CORRECT
env:
  API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN }}

# ❌ WRONG - Missing double braces
env:
  API_TOKEN: $secrets.CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN

Prevents Error #6 (secrets syntax).

Step 4: Add Issue/PR Templates

**Issue templates (YAML format):**

cp templates/issue-templates/bug_report.yml .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
cp templates/issue-templates/feature_request.yml .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/

**PR template (Markdown format):**

cp templates/pr-templates/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md .github/

**Why separate formats:**

• Issue templates: YAML for validation
• PR template: Markdown (GitHub limitation)

Step 5: Customize for Your Project

**Required customizations:**

1. **Update usernames/emails:**

   # In issue templates
   assignees:
     - secondsky  # ← Change to your GitHub username

   # In dependabot.yml
   reviewers:
     - "secondsky"  # ← Change to your username

2. **Adjust languages (CodeQL):**

   # In security-codeql.yml
   matrix:
     language: ['javascript-typescript']  # ← Add your languages
     # Options: c-cpp, csharp, go, java-kotlin, python, ruby, swift

3. **Update package manager (Dependabot):**

   # In dependabot.yml
   - package-ecosystem: "npm"  # ← Change if using yarn/pnpm/pip/etc

4. **Set deployment URL (Cloudflare):**

   # In ci-cloud