softprops/action-gh-release

Create a GitHub Release and upload assets when you push a tag.

Community actionCategory: Release AutomationLatest v2View on GitHub

What it does

softprops/action-gh-release creates or updates a GitHub Release for the tag that triggered the run and uploads any files you point it at.

It can generate release notes from merged PRs, so a tag push becomes a full release with binaries attached.

Usage

workflow (.yml)

on:
  push:
    tags: ['v*']
permissions:
  contents: write
jobs:
  release:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
        with:
          files: dist/*
          generate_release_notes: true

Inputs

Input	Description	Default	Required
`files`	Glob(s) of asset files to attach.	-	No
`tag_name`	Tag for the release.	`triggering tag`	No
`body`	Release notes body.	-	No
`draft`	Create as a draft.	`false`	No
`prerelease`	Mark as a prerelease.	`false`	No
`generate_release_notes`	Auto-generate notes from PRs.	`false`	No

Outputs

Output	Description
`url`	URL of the created release.
`id`	Release ID.

Notes

This runs on a tag push. The job needs permissions: contents: write.

Common errors

Resource not accessible by integration means the job lacks contents: write.
A release with no tag usually means the workflow was not triggered by a tag push and no tag_name was set.

Security and pinning

Pin to a commit SHA.

Frequently asked questions

How do I attach build artifacts to a GitHub Release?

Build them in earlier steps, then pass a glob to files, for example dist/*, with contents: write permission.