Validate markdown workflow (microsoft/agent-academy)
The Validate markdown workflow from microsoft/agent-academy, explained and optimized by Latchkey.
CI health: F - at risk
Point runs-on at Latchkey and get caching, run de-duplication, job timeouts, SHA-pinned actions, self-healing for flaky steps, and up to 58% lower cost, applied automatically.
What it does
This is the Validate markdown workflow from the microsoft/agent-academy repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its MIT license.
Below, Latchkey shows a faster, safer version produced by its optimization engine.
The workflow
name: Validate markdown
permissions:
contents: read
on:
pull_request:
branches-ignore:
- gh-pages
jobs:
markdown-lint:
name: Lint markdown files
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
# Checks markdown syntax and formatting
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Run markdownlint
uses: DavidAnson/markdownlint-cli2-action@v20
continue-on-error: false
id: markdown-lint
with:
globs: |
**/*.md
!.github/**/*.md
config: '.markdownlint.jsonc'
- name: Report markdown lint results
if: steps.markdown-lint.outcome == 'failure'
run: |
echo "::warning::Markdown formatting issues found. Please review the linting results above and consider fixing formatting inconsistencies for better readability."
markdown-link-check:
name: Check markdown links
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
# check out the latest version of the code
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
# Checks the status of hyperlinks in .md files in verbose mode
- name: Check links
uses: tcort/github-action-markdown-link-check@v1
continue-on-error: true
id: link-check
with:
use-quiet-mode: 'yes' # Only show broken links
use-verbose-mode: 'yes'
check-modified-files-only: 'no' # Check all files
- name: Report link check results
if: steps.link-check.outcome == 'failure'
run: |
echo "::warning::Some markdown links are broken. Please review the link check results above."
spell-check:
name: Spell check
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
# Checks spelling in markdown files
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: '18'
- name: Install cSpell
run: npm install -g cspell
- name: Run cSpell
continue-on-error: false
id: spell-check
run: cspell "**/*.md" --no-progress --no-summary
- name: Report spell check results
if: steps.spell-check.outcome == 'failure'
run: |
echo "::warning::Spelling issues found. Please review the spell check results above and consider fixing typos or adding legitimate words to cspell.json."
The same workflow, on Latchkey
Estimated ~20% faster on cache hits, plus fewer wasted runs and a safer supply chain. Added and changed lines are highlighted.
name: Validate markdown permissions: contents: read on: pull_request: branches-ignore: - gh-pages concurrency: group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }} cancel-in-progress: true jobs: markdown-lint: timeout-minutes: 30 name: Lint markdown files runs-on: latchkey-small # Checks markdown syntax and formatting steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v4 - name: Run markdownlint uses: DavidAnson/markdownlint-cli2-action@v20 continue-on-error: false id: markdown-lint with: globs: | **/*.md !.github/**/*.md config: '.markdownlint.jsonc' - name: Report markdown lint results if: steps.markdown-lint.outcome == 'failure' run: | echo "::warning::Markdown formatting issues found. Please review the linting results above and consider fixing formatting inconsistencies for better readability." markdown-link-check: timeout-minutes: 30 name: Check markdown links runs-on: latchkey-small # check out the latest version of the code steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v4 # Checks the status of hyperlinks in .md files in verbose mode - name: Check links uses: tcort/github-action-markdown-link-check@v1 continue-on-error: true id: link-check with: use-quiet-mode: 'yes' # Only show broken links use-verbose-mode: 'yes' check-modified-files-only: 'no' # Check all files - name: Report link check results if: steps.link-check.outcome == 'failure' run: | echo "::warning::Some markdown links are broken. Please review the link check results above." spell-check: timeout-minutes: 30 name: Spell check runs-on: latchkey-small # Checks spelling in markdown files steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v4 - name: Setup Node.js uses: actions/setup-node@v4 with: cache: 'npm' node-version: '18' - name: Install cSpell run: npm install -g cspell - name: Run cSpell continue-on-error: false id: spell-check run: cspell "**/*.md" --no-progress --no-summary - name: Report spell check results if: steps.spell-check.outcome == 'failure' run: | echo "::warning::Spelling issues found. Please review the spell check results above and consider fixing typos or adding legitimate words to cspell.json."
What changed
- Run on Latchkey managed runners with one line (
runs-on), which apply the fixes below automatically and self-heal transient failures. This example useslatchkey-small; pick the runner size that fits the job. - Cancel superseded runs when a branch or PR gets a newer push.
- Cache dependency installs on the setup step so they are served from cache.
- Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.
2 third-party actions are referenced by a movable tag. Pin them to the commit SHA (Latchkey resolves and applies this automatically) so a repointed tag cannot change what runs.
What Latchkey heals here
This workflow has steps that commonly fail on transient issues (network, registries, flaky browsers). On Latchkey managed runners they are detected, retried, and self-healed instead of failing your build:
- Dependency installs
This workflow runs 3 jobs per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.