What Is GITHUB_WORKSPACE?
GITHUB_WORKSPACE is the absolute path to the working directory where actions/checkout places your code.
Most steps run with GITHUB_WORKSPACE as the working directory. Understanding it matters when a step changes directories, runs in a container, or references absolute paths.
What to know
- Default value like
/home/runner/work/<repo>/<repo> - actions/checkout populates it
- Container actions mount it at a different path
Gotcha
Inside a container job the workspace may be mounted at /github/workspace, so avoid hard-coding the host path.
Key takeaways
- GITHUB_WORKSPACE is where your repo is checked out.
- actions/checkout fills it.
- Container jobs mount it at a different path.