automerge workflow (vmware/versatile-data-kit)

The automerge workflow from vmware/versatile-data-kit, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

CI health: C - fair

Point runs-on at Latchkey and get run de-duplication, job timeouts, self-healing for flaky steps, and up to 58% lower cost, applied automatically.

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Source: vmware/versatile-data-kit.github/workflows/dependabot.automerge.ymlLicense Apache-2.0View source

What it does

This is the automerge workflow from the vmware/versatile-data-kit repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its Apache-2.0 license.

Below, Latchkey shows a faster, safer version produced by its optimization engine.

The workflow

workflow (.yml)

# Copyright 2023-2025 Broadcom
# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

name: automerge
on:
  pull_request:
    types:
      - labeled
      - unlabeled
      - synchronize
      - opened
      - edited
      - ready_for_review
      - reopened
      - unlocked
  pull_request_review:
    types:
      - submitted
  check_suite:
    types:
      - completed
  status: {}
jobs:
  automerge:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - id: automerge
        name: automerge
        uses: "pascalgn/automerge-action@v0.15.6"
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
          MERGE_METHOD: "rebase"
          MERGE_LABELS: "dependencies"
          UPDATE_METHOD: "rebase"
          UPDATE_LABELS: "dependencies"

The same workflow, on Latchkey

Removes redundant runs and caps runaway jobs. Added and changed lines are highlighted.

# Copyright 2023-2025 Broadcom
# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
name: automerge
on:
  pull_request:
    types:
      - labeled
      - unlabeled
      - synchronize
      - opened
      - edited
      - ready_for_review
      - reopened
      - unlocked
  pull_request_review:
    types:
      - submitted
  check_suite:
    types:
      - completed
  status: {}
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  automerge:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    steps:
      - id: automerge
        name: automerge
        uses: "pascalgn/automerge-action@v0.15.6"
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
          MERGE_METHOD: "rebase"
          MERGE_LABELS: "dependencies"
          UPDATE_METHOD: "rebase"
          UPDATE_LABELS: "dependencies"

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 uses latchkey-small; pick the runner size that fits the job.
Cancel superseded runs when a branch or PR gets a newer push.
Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.

This workflow runs 1 job per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.