GitHub Actions "This job depends on a job that was skipped"
When a needed job is skipped (its if was false), all jobs that depend on it skip too, unless they override their own if with a status function and check the upstream result.
What this error means
A job never runs and the UI notes it depends on a skipped job, even though nothing failed.
Job 'package' was skipped because 'build' (a dependency) was skipped.Diagnose it: print the context before you change anything
Most workflow-expression bugs are not syntax errors, they are an expression reading something that is empty. GitHub resolves a missing property to an empty string instead of failing the run, so a wrong reference looks like a logic bug rather than a mistake. Dump the contexts first and you will usually see the answer immediately.
- name: Dump contexts
run: |
echo '--- github ---' ; echo '${{ toJSON(github) }}'
echo '--- needs ---' ; echo '${{ toJSON(needs) }}'
echo '--- steps ---' ; echo '${{ toJSON(steps) }}'
echo '--- matrix ---' ; echo '${{ toJSON(matrix) }}'
echo '--- inputs ---' ; echo '${{ toJSON(inputs) }}'Check the context is allowed where you used it
Contexts are not available everywhere. The same expression can be valid in a step if and invalid in a job if, which is why an expression that works in one workflow fails when moved.
| Where you wrote it | Contexts available there |
|---|---|
run-name | github, inputs, vars |
concurrency | github, inputs, vars |
Top-level env | github, secrets, inputs, vars |
jobs.<id>.if | github, needs, vars, inputs |
jobs.<id>.steps.if | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, steps, inputs |
jobs.<id>.outputs | Full access, including secrets |
Reusable workflow outputs | github, jobs, vars, inputs |
Common causes
Conditional upstream job evaluated false
An upstream if that skips cascades the skip to dependents.
No override on the dependent job
Without a status-function if, the dependent inherits the skip.
How to fix it
Branch on the upstream result
- Add if: \${{ !cancelled() }} (or always()) on the dependent job.
- Then check needs.<job>.result to run only the intended path.
- Treat 'skipped' as a distinct result from 'success'/'failure'.
package:
needs: build
if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.build.result != 'failure' }}
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: ./package.shCatch it before it reaches CI
Every failure in this cluster is statically detectable. actionlint parses workflow expressions, checks context availability against the same rules above, and validates needs references, so these bugs never need to cost you a run.
# one-off
docker run --rm -v "$(pwd):/repo" --workdir /repo rhysd/actionlint:latest -color
# as a job, before anything expensive runs
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: |
bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rhysd/actionlint/main/scripts/download-actionlint.bash)
./actionlint -colorHow to prevent it
- Make skip-propagation intentional with status functions where needed.
- Use needs.<job>.result to distinguish skipped from succeeded.