upload-release-asset
A GitHub Action to upload assets to GitHub Releases via the GitHub Release API.
What is upload-release-asset?
actions/upload-release-asset is a GitHub Action that uploads files as assets to GitHub Releases. It solves the problem of automating the distribution of build artifacts, binaries, or documentation by integrating release asset uploads directly into CI/CD workflows. The action uses the official GitHub Release API to ensure reliable and consistent uploads.
Developers and DevOps engineers using GitHub Actions for CI/CD who need to automate the process of attaching files to GitHub Releases as part of their release pipelines.
Developers choose this action because it provides a standardized, maintained way to upload release assets within GitHub Actions workflows, eliminating the need for custom API calls. It integrates seamlessly with other GitHub release actions and follows GitHub's official patterns for action development.
Overview
An Action to upload a release asset via the GitHub Release API
Use Cases
Best For
- Automating binary distribution with GitHub Releases
- Attaching build artifacts to releases in CI/CD pipelines
- Uploading documentation or release notes alongside binaries
- Creating complete release automation workflows with GitHub Actions
- Replacing manual uploads to GitHub Releases
- Integrating release asset uploads with existing GitHub Actions workflows
Not Ideal For
- Teams requiring actively maintained and security-patched GitHub Actions for production workflows
- Projects needing advanced release automation features like draft releases, asset management, or custom release notes
- Organizations with compliance requirements that mandate using supported and updated tools
- Developers seeking community support or frequent updates for their CI/CD pipelines
Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides a simple, dedicated interface for uploading assets to GitHub Releases using the official API, ensuring compatibility and reliability without custom scripting.
Designed to integrate easily with other GitHub Actions, such as actions/create-release, enabling complete release automation pipelines as shown in the example workflow.
Supports specifying asset name, path, and content type, allowing precise handling of files in releases, which is essential for proper distribution.
Exposes asset ID and browser download URL as outputs, enabling downstream workflow steps to use these values for further automation or integration.
Cons
Explicitly marked as archived by GitHub with no updates, issue resolution, or security patches, making it risky and obsolete for any production use.
Only handles basic asset uploads; lacks features found in maintained alternatives like softprops/action-gh-release, such as draft releases, asset overwriting, or enhanced error handling.
With GitHub no longer maintaining it, users cannot rely on official documentation updates, bug fixes, or community support, leading to potential workflow breakages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
labelerAn action for automatically labelling pull requests
staleMarks issues and pull requests that have not had recent interaction
create-releaseAn Action to create releases via the GitHub Release API
first-interactionAn action for filtering pull requests and issues from first-time contributors
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