actions-validate

name	actions-validate
description	Validate GitHub Actions workflow files locally with the actionlint then zizmor loop — actionlint for syntax, expression typing, and shellcheck of run steps; zizmor for security audits (expression injection, pull_request_target risks, unpinned actions, over-broad permissions). Use after editing any .github/workflows/*.yaml or action.yml, before committing workflow changes, when asked to lint, validate, or security-audit GitHub Actions workflows, when a workflow fails in CI, or when setting up actionlint/zizmor for a repository.
license	MIT

GitHub Actions validation workflow

Run this loop after editing any workflow and before every commit. Two tools, cheapest-first: actionlint for correctness, then zizmor for security. Fix findings and repeat until both are clean — never commit with failures.

This is the local complement to the server-side CodeQL actions scan that the actions-reusable-workflows skill wires (the reusable codeql.yaml); run both. zizmor enforces the actions-security rules mechanically, and authoring conventions live in actions-style.

1. Lint (actionlint)

actionlint checks workflow syntax, the validity of events/contexts, expression typing, and runs shellcheck over run: steps. From the repository root it auto-discovers .github/workflows/:

actionlint

Install via brew install actionlint, go install github.com/rhysd/actionlint/cmd/actionlint@latest, or a pinned release binary. Install shellcheck (and pyflakes for python steps) on PATH so the embedded-script checks run; without them actionlint still validates the YAML and expressions.

2. Audit security (zizmor)

zizmor statically audits workflows and composite actions for the security issues the actions-security skill warns about — template/expression injection, dangerous pull_request_target checkout of PR head, unpinned (mutable-tag) actions, over-broad permissions, and more:

zizmor .github/workflows/

Install via uvx zizmor, pipx install zizmor, brew install zizmor, or cargo install zizmor. zizmor runs every audit by default; record only reviewed exceptions in a config file rather than disabling an audit. If the repo has none, offer to seed one from this skill's bundled zizmor.yml (place it at the repo root or .github/zizmor.yml). zizmor performs some online checks (e.g. that a pinned action ref exists); pass --offline (or set GH_TOKEN for higher rate limits) in sandboxed environments.

3. Fix and repeat

Re-run both after fixing. The order matters: actionlint first, because zizmor assumes parseable, well-formed YAML. A workflow is done when actionlint reports nothing and zizmor is clean (or every remaining finding has a justified ignore entry).

Notes:

• Treat a zizmor finding as a security violation, not a suggestion — most map directly to an actions-security rule (unpinned action → SHA-pin; injectable expression → env: indirection; over-broad token → least-privilege permissions:).
• Wire actionlint and zizmor into the repo's make lint so CI re-runs them; the reusable ci.yaml already calls make lint (see actions-reusable-workflows).