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What Is GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER?

GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER is a sequential counter that increments each time a given workflow runs.

Unlike GITHUB_RUN_ID, which is a globally unique opaque ID, GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER is a friendly per-workflow counter often used in build numbers.

What to know

It increases per workflow but does not reset and is not unique across workflows. Re-running a run does not change it.

Key takeaways

  • GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER is a per-workflow counter.
  • Good for human-friendly build numbers.
  • GITHUB_RUN_ID is the unique key.

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