tj-actions/changed-files

List the files changed in a push or pull request so later steps can run conditionally.

Community actionCategory: Utilities & ScriptingLatest v46View on GitHub

What it does

tj-actions/changed-files computes which files changed and exposes them as outputs, so you can, for example, run linters only on changed files or skip a job when nothing relevant changed.

It needs full history for accurate diffs on some events, so pair it with actions/checkout using fetch-depth: 0.

Usage

workflow (.yml)

steps:
  - uses: actions/checkout@v4
    with:
      fetch-depth: 0
  - id: changed
    uses: tj-actions/changed-files@v46
    with:
      files: 'src/**'
  - if: steps.changed.outputs.any_changed == 'true'
    run: npm run lint

Inputs

Input	Description	Default	Required
`files`	Glob(s) to filter the changed set.	`all`	No
`separator`	Separator for the output list.	`space`	No

Outputs

Output	Description
`all_changed_files`	List of changed files matching the filter.
`any_changed`	true if any matching file changed.

Notes

Accurate diffs on pushes need full history; use fetch-depth: 0 on checkout.

Common errors

An empty or wrong changed set usually means a shallow checkout. Set fetch-depth: 0.

Security and pinning

Pin this action to a full commit SHA. In March 2025 tj-actions tags were compromised to leak secrets; workflows pinned to a SHA were not affected. This is the clearest real-world case for SHA pinning.

Alternatives and related

dorny/paths-filterDetect which parts of a monorepo changed and run only the affected jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Why should I pin tj-actions/changed-files to a SHA?

Its tags were compromised in a 2025 supply-chain attack. Pinning to a commit SHA means a moved or malicious tag cannot change what runs in your pipeline.