How to Use actions/github-script for API Calls in GitHub Actions

actions/github-script gives you a pre-authenticated Octokit client so you can script API calls without wiring up tokens yourself.

Write JavaScript in the script: input. The github object is an authenticated Octokit, and context carries event data. Grant only the permissions the calls need.

Steps

• Add actions/github-script@v7 and put JS in script:.
• Call github.rest.* (REST) or github.graphql (GraphQL).
• Grant matching permissions: (e.g. issues: write).

Workflow

permissions:
  issues: write
jobs:
  triage:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/github-script@v7
        with:
          script: |
            await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
              owner: context.repo.owner,
              repo: context.repo.repo,
              issue_number: context.issue.number,
              labels: ['needs-triage']
            })

Gotchas

• The built-in GITHUB_TOKEN cannot trigger further workflow runs; use a PAT if you need that.
• Return a value to expose it as the step output result.

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