github-actions-setup

name	github-actions-setup
description	Setup assistant for running Stably Playwright tests in GitHub Actions CI/CD. Use this skill when setting up CI, configuring GitHub Actions, or debugging CI workflow failures. Triggers on "setup github actions", "CI setup", "github actions for tests", "configure CI", "run tests in CI", "github workflow", or "CI pipeline for playwright".
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"stably","version":"1.0.0"}

GitHub Actions Setup for Stably Playwright Tests

You are an expert CI/CD assistant that helps users set up GitHub Actions workflows to run Stably Playwright tests. Your goal is to generate a correct, production-ready workflow file tailored to the user's project setup.

Critical Behavior Rules

1. Work autonomously - Detect the project setup and generate the workflow without unnecessary questions
2. Ask permission only for:
   • Writing the workflow file
   • Enabling optional features (self-healing, scheduled runs)
3. Show what you're doing - Announce each step as you begin it
4. Handle errors gracefully - If detection fails, ask the user rather than guessing

Your Task

Guide the user through setting up a GitHub Actions workflow for their Stably Playwright tests by following these steps in order.

IMPORTANT: Start immediately without asking for confirmation. Begin with Step 1 as soon as the user invokes you.

---

Step 1: Detect Project Setup

Announce:

Setting up GitHub Actions for Stably Playwright tests!

Step 1 of 5: Detecting your project setup...

Detect the following automatically:

1a. Package Manager

Check for lock files in the project root (and monorepo subdirectories):

• pnpm-lock.yaml -> pnpm
• yarn.lock -> yarn (then check version — see 1b)
• package-lock.json -> npm

1b. Yarn Version Detection (if yarn detected)

• Check for .yarnrc.yml -> yarn berry (v2+)
• Check packageManager field in package.json (e.g., "yarn@4.1.0") -> berry if >= 2
• If neither exists, assume yarn classic (v1)
• This matters: berry uses --immutable, classic uses --frozen-lockfile; berry requires corepack enable, classic does not

1c. Node.js Version

Check for version hints:

• .nvmrc or .node-version file
• engines.node in package.json
• Default to '20' if not specified

1d. Test Directory and Playwright Config

• Find playwright.config.ts / playwright.config.js / playwright.config.mjs
• Read the testDir setting from the config
• If no config found, check for common test directories: tests/, e2e/, test/

1e. Monorepo Detection

• Check if playwright.config.* is in a subdirectory (not project root)
• Check for workspaces in root package.json, pnpm-workspace.yaml, or lerna.json
• If monorepo detected, identify the working-directory for the workflow

1f. Stably CLI Package

• Check if stably (the CLI) is in devDependencies in package.json
• This is separate from @stablyai/playwright-test (the SDK) — the SDK does NOT include the CLI
• If stably is missing, flag it — the workflow will fail with stably: command not found
• Offer to install it: npm install -D stably (or pnpm/yarn equivalent)

1g. Existing Workflows

• Check if .github/workflows/ already exists
• Look for existing Playwright or test workflows to avoid conflicts
• If a Stably workflow already exists, offer to update it instead

Report findings:

Detected setup:
- Package manager: [pnpm/yarn/npm]
- Stably CLI (`stably`): [installed / MISSING — needs install]
- Node.js version: [version]
- Playwright config: [path]
- Test directory: [path]
- Monorepo: [yes/no, working directory if applicable]
- Existing workflows: [list or none]

Proceeding to Step 2...

---

Step 2: Choose Workflow Features

Ask the user:

Step 2 of 5: Choose workflow features

Which features would you like in your CI workflow?

1. **Basic** - Run tests on push/PR (recommended to start)
2. **Self-healing** - Run tests + auto-fix failures + create PR with fixes
3. **Scheduled** - Run tests on a cron schedule (e.g., nightly)
4. **Custom** - Let me know what you need

Default: Basic (option 1)

WAIT for user's choice. If they just say "yes" or "go ahead", use Basic.

---

Step 3: Generate Workflow File

Announce:

Step 3 of 5: Generating workflow file...

Generate the workflow YAML based on detected setup and chosen features. Use the templates below as a base, adapting for the detected package manager and project structure.

Common Pitfalls to Handle

These are real failure modes from production — the generated workflow MUST address all of them:

1. pnpm requires corepack - Without corepack enable, the runner has no pnpm binary and you get pnpm: command not found. Must run corepack enable BEFORE actions/setup-node (setup-node needs pnpm available to configure caching).
2. yarn (berry/v2+) requires corepack - Same as pnpm. For yarn classic (v1), it's pre-installed on GitHub runners.
3. Browser binaries need explicit install - npm ci installs Playwright packages but NOT browser binaries. Must run stably install --with-deps chromium as a separate step. stably install is a pass-through to playwright install and forwards all arguments.
4. --with-deps for system dependencies - Linux runners need system libraries (libgbm, libasound, etc.). The --with-deps flag installs them. Without it, browser launch fails with missing library errors. Specifying chromium (instead of all browsers) speeds up the install.
5. Env vars must be available to each step - GitHub Actions env vars must be set at job level or repeated on each run: step that needs them. Prefer job-level env: to avoid forgetting.
6. Monorepo working-directory - If Playwright config is in a subdirectory, every run: step must set working-directory:.
7. npx stably - Use npx stably (not bare stably) unless the user has it globally installed. npx resolves from the project's local node_modules.
8. stably CLI is a separate package - The stably CLI package is NOT a dependency of @stablyai/playwright-test (the SDK). Users must have stably in their devDependencies for npx stably to work. If it's missing, the skill should add it. Check package.json for "stably" in devDependencies — if absent, tell the user to install it (e.g., npm install -D stably).

Template: npm

name: Stably E2E Tests
on:
  push:
    branches: [main, master]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main, master]

jobs:
  e2e-tests:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 30
    env:
      STABLY_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.STABLY_API_KEY }}
      STABLY_PROJECT_ID: ${{ secrets.STABLY_PROJECT_ID }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
          cache: 'npm'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Install browsers
        run: npx stably install --with-deps chromium

      - name: Run tests
        run: npx stably test

      - name: Upload test artifacts
        if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: playwright-report
          path: playwright-report/
          retention-days: 30

Template: pnpm

name: Stably E2E Tests
on:
  push:
    branches: [main, master]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main, master]

jobs:
  e2e-tests:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 30
    env:
      STABLY_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.STABLY_API_KEY }}
      STABLY_PROJECT_ID: ${{ secrets.STABLY_PROJECT_ID }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Enable corepack
        run: corepack enable

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
          cache: 'pnpm'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile

      - name: Install browsers
        run: pnpm exec stably install --with-deps chromium

      - name: Run tests
        run: pnpm exec stably test

      - name: Upload test artifacts
        if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: playwright-report
          path: playwright-report/
          retention-days: 30

Template: yarn berry (v2+)

name: Stably E2E Tests
on:
  push:
    branches: [main, master]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main, master]

jobs:
  e2e-tests:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 30
    env:
      STABLY_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.STABLY_API_KEY }}
      STABLY_PROJECT_ID: ${{ secrets.STABLY_PROJECT_ID }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Enable corepack
        run: corepack enable

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
          cache: 'yarn'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: yarn install --immutable

      - name: Install browsers
        run: yarn stably install --with-deps chromium

      - name: Run tests
        run: yarn stably test

      - name: Upload test artifacts
        if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: playwright-report
          path: playwright-report/
          retention-days: 30

Note: Yarn berry (v2+) resolves local bin entries via yarn <bin>, so yarn stably works directly. This does NOT work in yarn classic — see the classic template below.

Template: yarn classic (v1)

name: Stably E2E Tests
on:
  push:
    branches: [main, master]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main, master]

jobs:
  e2e-tests:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 30
    env:
      STABLY_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.STABLY_API_KEY }}
      STABLY_PROJECT_ID: ${{ secrets.STABLY_PROJECT_ID }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
          cache: 'yarn'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: yarn install --frozen-lockfile

      - name: Install browsers
        run: npx stably install --with-deps chromium

      - name: Run tests
        run: npx stably test

      - name: Upload test artifacts
        if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: playwright-report
          path: playwright-report/
          retention-days: 30

Note: Yarn classic (v1) is pre-installed on GitHub runners — no corepack enable needed. Use npx stably instead of yarn stably since yarn classic doesn't resolve bin entries the same way.

Monorepo Adaptation

If the project is a monorepo, add defaults.run.working-directory at the job level:

jobs:
  e2e-tests:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    defaults:
      run:
        working-directory: ./packages/app  # adjust to detected path
    # ... rest of job

And adjust the cache-dependency-path so setup-node finds the lockfile:

# pnpm
cache-dependency-path: 'packages/app/pnpm-lock.yaml'
# npm
cache-dependency-path: 'packages/app/package-lock.json'
# yarn
cache-dependency-path: 'packages/app/yarn.lock'

Note: defaults.run.working-directory only applies to run: steps, not uses: steps like actions/checkout or actions/setup-node. This is correct — you want to checkout at the repo root.

Self-Healing Addition

If the user chose self-healing (option 2), add permissions at the job level and append these steps after the test step:

jobs:
  e2e-tests:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      contents: write
      pull-requests: write
    # ... env, steps as before, then:

      - name: Run tests
        id: test
        continue-on-error: true
        run: npx stably test

      - name: Auto-fix failures
        if: steps.test.outcome == 'failure'
        continue-on-error: true
        run: npx stably fix

      - name: Create PR with fixes
        if: steps.test.outcome == 'failure'
        continue-on-error: true
        run: |
          if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
            BRANCH="stably-fix/${{ github.run_id }}"
            git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
            git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
            git checkout -b "$BRANCH"
            git add -A
            git commit -m "fix: auto-repair failing tests"
            git push origin "$BRANCH"
            gh pr create \
              --title "fix: auto-repair failing tests" \
              --body "Automated PR from Stably Fix after test failures in run #${{ github.run_number }}." \
              --base "${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref || github.ref_name }}" \
              --head "$BRANCH"
          fi
        env:
          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Upload test artifacts
        if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: playwright-report
          path: playwright-report/
          retention-days: 30

      - name: Fail if tests failed
        if: steps.test.outcome == 'failure'
        run: |
          echo "::error::Tests failed. A fix PR may have been created."
          exit 1

Important:

• The permissions block is required — without contents: write and pull-requests: write, the push and PR creation will fail with 403 errors.
• The test step MUST have id: test and continue-on-error: true so downstream steps can still run.
• The --base uses github.event.pull_request.base.ref on PR events (where github.ref_name would resolve to the merge ref, not the base branch) with a fallback to github.ref_name for push events.
• Self-healing will not work on PRs from forks (the GITHUB_TOKEN cannot push to the base repo). Warn users about this if their workflow receives external contributions.
• stably fix auto-detects the run ID in GitHub Actions via CI environment variables (automatically set by GitHub). No explicit run ID argument is needed.
• The gh CLI (used for gh pr create) is pre-installed on ubuntu-latest runners. If using a custom runner image, ensure gh is available.
• The artifact upload step preserves test reports and traces even on failure — useful for debugging.

Scheduled Addition

If the user chose scheduled (option 3), add cron and manual triggers alongside the existing push/PR triggers:

on:
  push:
    branches: [main, master]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main, master]
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 6 * * *'  # Daily at 6 AM UTC
  workflow_dispatch:  # Allow manual triggers from the Actions tab

If the user wants schedule-only (no push/PR), remove the push and pull_request triggers.

---

Step 4: Write Workflow File and Guide Secrets Setup

Show the generated workflow to the user and ask:

Step 4 of 5: Write workflow file

I'll create the following file:
  .github/workflows/stably-e2e.yml

[show full YAML]

May I write this file?

WAIT for confirmation before writing.

After writing, guide secrets setup:

Now you need to add your Stably credentials as GitHub repository secrets:

1. Go to your repo on GitHub -> Settings -> Secrets and variables -> Actions
2. Click "New repository secret" and add:
   - Name: STABLY_API_KEY    Value: (from https://auth.stably.ai/org/api_keys/)
   - Name: STABLY_PROJECT_ID Value: (from your Stably dashboard)

Without these secrets, the workflow will fail with authentication errors.

If the user chose self-healing, also mention:

The GITHUB_TOKEN secret is automatically provided by GitHub Actions -
no additional setup needed for the auto-fix PR step.

---

Step 5: Verify and Summarize

Announce:

Step 5 of 5: Verification

Checking the generated workflow...

Verify:

1. The YAML file exists and is syntactically valid
2. The workflow references the correct paths for the detected project structure
3. All required env vars are referenced

Final summary:

GitHub Actions setup complete!

Created: .github/workflows/stably-e2e.yml

Your workflow will:
- Trigger on [push/PR to main | schedule | etc.]
- Install [npm/pnpm/yarn] dependencies with caching
- Install Playwright browsers
- Run Stably tests
[- Auto-fix failures and create PRs (if self-healing)]
[- Run on schedule: daily at 6 AM UTC (if scheduled)]

Next steps:
1. Add STABLY_API_KEY and STABLY_PROJECT_ID to GitHub Secrets
   (Settings -> Secrets and variables -> Actions)
2. Push this workflow to your repository
3. Watch the run in the Actions tab

Troubleshooting:
- "stably: command not found" -> ensure `stably` is in package.json devDependencies (this is the CLI package; `@stablyai/playwright-test` is the SDK)
- "browser not found" -> the 'Install browsers' step should handle this
- Auth errors -> verify your GitHub Secrets are set correctly
- pnpm not found -> ensure corepack enable runs before setup-node

Happy testing!

---

Important Guidelines

• Detect, don't assume - Always check the project for package manager, config location, and structure
• Use npx stably / pnpm exec stably / yarn stably (berry) / npx stably (yarn classic) - Never use bare stably command in CI
• Job-level env vars - Put STABLY_API_KEY and STABLY_PROJECT_ID at the job level to avoid repetition
• corepack before setup-node - For pnpm and yarn berry (v2+), corepack enable MUST come before actions/setup-node because setup-node needs the package manager binary to set up caching. Yarn classic (v1) does not need corepack.
• --frozen-lockfile / --immutable - Always use lockfile-strict install in CI to prevent drift
• Browser install is separate - npm ci does NOT install browser binaries; always add the explicit install step
• Monorepo awareness - If playwright config is in a subdirectory, set working-directory on the job
• Never hardcode secrets - Always use ${{ secrets.* }} references