How to Migrate From Azure Pipelines to GitHub Actions

Azure stages and jobs map to Actions jobs with needs, the pool becomes runs-on, tasks become actions, and variable groups become secrets.

Azure Pipelines stages and jobs map to Actions jobs. Replace pool with runs-on, each task: with an equivalent action or run:, and variables/variable groups with secrets and env.

Concept mapping

Azure Pipelines	GitHub Actions
`stages` / `jobs`	`jobs:` with `needs:`
`pool: vmImage`	`runs-on:`
`- task: X@n`	a marketplace action or `run:`
`- script:`	`run:`
variable group / `variables`	secrets and `env:`
`dependsOn`	`needs:`

Before

azure-pipelines.yml

pool:
  vmImage: ubuntu-latest
steps:
  - task: NodeTool@0
    inputs:
      versionSpec: '20.x'
  - script: npm ci
  - script: npm test

After

.github/workflows/ci.yml

on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
      - run: npm ci
      - run: npm test

What does not map cleanly

Azure task inputs rarely match an action one-to-one; check each action README for the equivalent input.
Azure condition: expressions use a different syntax than Actions if: and must be rewritten.
Azure service connections become secrets plus a login action (for example cloud OIDC login).