GitHub Actions "Process completed with exit code 1" in run with set -e
GitHub Actions runs bash steps with set -e -o pipefail by default. Any command that returns non-zero - even one whose failure you intended to tolerate - aborts the step with exit code 1.
What this error means
A run step fails immediately after a command returns non-zero, including commands like grep with no match, which exit 1 by design.
+ grep "WARN" build.log
Error: Process completed with exit code 1.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 '${{ toJSON(inputs) }}'Check the context is allowed where you used it
Contexts are not available everywhere. The same expression can be valid in a step if and invalid in a job if, which is why an expression that works in one workflow fails when moved.
| Where you wrote it | Contexts available there |
|---|---|
run-name | github, inputs, vars |
concurrency | github, inputs, vars |
Top-level env | github, secrets, inputs, vars |
jobs.<id>.if | github, needs, vars, inputs |
jobs.<id>.steps.if | github, needs, strategy, matrix, job, runner, env, vars, steps, inputs |
jobs.<id>.outputs | Full access, including secrets |
Reusable workflow outputs | github, jobs, vars, inputs |
Common causes
set -e aborts on first non-zero
The default bash flags stop the step on any failing command.
Tolerable failures not handled
Commands like grep, diff, or test that legitimately exit non-zero abort the step.
How to fix it
Handle expected non-zero exits
- Append || true to commands whose non-zero result is acceptable.
- Capture and inspect the exit code explicitly when you need to branch.
- Use continue-on-error only when the whole step may legitimately fail.
- run: |
if grep -q "WARN" build.log; then
echo "warnings present"
fi # if/grep -q avoids aborting on no-matchCatch it before it reaches CI
Every failure in this cluster is statically detectable. actionlint parses workflow expressions, checks context availability against the same rules above, and validates needs references, so these bugs never need to cost you a run.
# one-off
docker run --rm -v "$(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
- Remember bash steps run with errexit and pipefail by default.
- Guard tolerable failures rather than disabling error handling globally.