claude-code-action/docs/usage.md

Usage

Add a workflow file to your repository (e.g., .github/workflows/claude.yml):

name: Claude Assistant
on:
  issue_comment:
    types: [created]
  pull_request_review_comment:
    types: [created]
  issues:
    types: [opened, assigned, labeled]
  pull_request_review:
    types: [submitted]

jobs:
  claude-response:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
        with:
          anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
          # Or use OAuth token instead:
          # claude_code_oauth_token: ${{ secrets.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN }}

          # Optional: provide a prompt for automation workflows
          # prompt: "Review this PR for security issues"

          # Optional: pass advanced arguments to Claude CLI
          # claude_args: |
          #   --max-turns 10
          #   --model claude-4-0-sonnet-20250805

          # Optional: add custom plugin marketplaces
          # plugin_marketplaces: "https://github.com/user/marketplace1.git\nhttps://github.com/user/marketplace2.git"
          # Optional: install Claude Code plugins
          # plugins: "code-review@claude-code-plugins\nfeature-dev@claude-code-plugins"

          # Optional: add custom trigger phrase (default: @claude)
          # trigger_phrase: "/claude"
          # Optional: add assignee trigger for issues
          # assignee_trigger: "claude"
          # Optional: add label trigger for issues
          # label_trigger: "claude"
          # Optional: grant additional permissions (requires corresponding GitHub token permissions)
          # additional_permissions: |
          #   actions: read
          # Optional: allow bot users to trigger the action
          # allowed_bots: "dependabot[bot],renovate[bot]"

Inputs

Input	Description	Required	Default
anthropic_api_key	Anthropic API key (required for direct API, not needed for Bedrock/Vertex)	No*	-
claude_code_oauth_token	Claude Code OAuth token (alternative to anthropic_api_key)	No*	-
prompt	Instructions for Claude. Can be a direct prompt or custom template for automation workflows	No	-
track_progress	Force tag mode with tracking comments. Only works with specific PR/issue events. Preserves GitHub context	No	false
claude_args	Additional arguments to pass directly to Claude CLI (e.g., --max-turns 10 --model claude-4-0-sonnet-20250805)	No	""
base_branch	The base branch to use for creating new branches (e.g., 'main', 'develop')	No	-
use_sticky_comment	Use just one comment to deliver PR comments (only applies for pull_request event workflows)	No	false
github_token	GitHub token for Claude to operate with. Only include this if you're connecting a custom GitHub app of your own!	No	-
use_bedrock	Use Amazon Bedrock with OIDC authentication instead of direct Anthropic API	No	false
use_vertex	Use Google Vertex AI with OIDC authentication instead of direct Anthropic API	No	false
assignee_trigger	The assignee username that triggers the action (e.g. @claude). Only used for issue assignment	No	-
label_trigger	The label name that triggers the action when applied to an issue (e.g. "claude")	No	-
trigger_phrase	The trigger phrase to look for in comments, issue/PR bodies, and issue titles	No	@claude
branch_prefix	The prefix to use for Claude branches (defaults to 'claude/', use 'claude-' for dash format)	No	claude/
settings	Claude Code settings as JSON string or path to settings JSON file	No	""
additional_permissions	Additional permissions to enable. Currently supports 'actions: read' for viewing workflow results	No	""
experimental_allowed_domains	Restrict network access to these domains only (newline-separated).	No	""
use_commit_signing	Enable commit signing using GitHub's commit signature verification. When false, Claude uses standard git commands	No	false
bot_id	GitHub user ID to use for git operations (defaults to Claude's bot ID)	No	41898282
bot_name	GitHub username to use for git operations (defaults to Claude's bot name)	No	claude[bot]
allowed_bots	Comma-separated list of allowed bot usernames, or '*' to allow all bots. Empty string (default) allows no bots	No	""
allowed_non_write_users	⚠️ RISKY: Comma-separated list of usernames to allow without write permissions, or '*' for all users. Only works with github_token input. See Security	No	""
path_to_claude_code_executable	Optional path to a custom Claude Code executable. Skips automatic installation. Useful for Nix, custom containers, or specialized environments	No	""
path_to_bun_executable	Optional path to a custom Bun executable. Skips automatic Bun installation. Useful for Nix, custom containers, or specialized environments	No	""
plugin_marketplaces	Newline-separated list of Claude Code plugin marketplace Git URLs to install from (e.g., see example in workflow above). Marketplaces are added before plugin installation	No	""
plugins	Newline-separated list of Claude Code plugin names to install (e.g., see example in workflow above). Plugins are installed before Claude Code execution	No	""

Deprecated Inputs

These inputs are deprecated and will be removed in a future version:

Input	Description	Migration Path
mode	DEPRECATED: Mode is now automatically detected based on workflow context	Remove this input; the action auto-detects the correct mode
direct_prompt	DEPRECATED: Use prompt instead	Replace with prompt
override_prompt	DEPRECATED: Use prompt with template variables or claude_args with --system-prompt	Use prompt for templates or claude_args for system prompts
custom_instructions	DEPRECATED: Use claude_args with --system-prompt or include in prompt	Move instructions to prompt or use claude_args
max_turns	DEPRECATED: Use claude_args with --max-turns instead	Use claude_args: "--max-turns 5"
model	DEPRECATED: Use claude_args with --model instead	Use claude_args: "--model claude-4-0-sonnet-20250805"
fallback_model	DEPRECATED: Use claude_args with fallback configuration	Configure fallback in claude_args or settings
allowed_tools	DEPRECATED: Use claude_args with --allowedTools instead	Use claude_args: "--allowedTools Edit,Read,Write"
disallowed_tools	DEPRECATED: Use claude_args with --disallowedTools instead	Use claude_args: "--disallowedTools WebSearch"
mcp_config	DEPRECATED: Use claude_args with --mcp-config instead	Use claude_args: "--mcp-config '{...}'"
claude_env	DEPRECATED: Use settings with env configuration	Configure environment in settings JSON

*Required when using direct Anthropic API (default and when not using Bedrock or Vertex)

Note

: This action is currently in beta. Features and APIs may change as we continue to improve the integration.

Upgrading from v0.x?

For a comprehensive guide on migrating from v0.x to v1.0, including step-by-step instructions and examples, see our Migration Guide.

Quick Migration Examples

Interactive Workflows (with @claude mentions)

Before (v0.x):

- uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@beta
  with:
    mode: "tag"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
    custom_instructions: "Focus on security"
    max_turns: "10"

After (v1.0):

- uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
  with:
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
    claude_args: |
      --max-turns 10
      --system-prompt "Focus on security"

Automation Workflows

Before (v0.x):

- uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@beta
  with:
    mode: "agent"
    direct_prompt: "Update the API documentation"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
    model: "claude-4-0-sonnet-20250805"
    allowed_tools: "Edit,Read,Write"

After (v1.0):

- uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
  with:
    prompt: |
      REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
      PR NUMBER: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}

      Update the API documentation to reflect changes in this PR
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
    claude_args: |
      --model claude-4-0-sonnet-20250805
      --allowedTools Edit,Read,Write

Custom Templates

Before (v0.x):

- uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@beta
  with:
    override_prompt: |
      Analyze PR #$PR_NUMBER for security issues.
      Focus on: $CHANGED_FILES

After (v1.0):

- uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
  with:
    prompt: |
      Analyze PR #${{ github.event.pull_request.number }} for security issues.
      Focus on the changed files in this PR.

Structured Outputs

Get validated JSON results from Claude that automatically become GitHub Action outputs. This enables building complex automation workflows where Claude analyzes data and subsequent steps use the results.

Basic Example

- name: Detect flaky tests
  id: analyze
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
  with:
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
    prompt: |
      Check the CI logs and determine if this is a flaky test.
      Return: is_flaky (boolean), confidence (0-1), summary (string)
    claude_args: |
      --json-schema '{"type":"object","properties":{"is_flaky":{"type":"boolean"},"confidence":{"type":"number"},"summary":{"type":"string"}},"required":["is_flaky"]}'

- name: Retry if flaky
  if: fromJSON(steps.analyze.outputs.structured_output).is_flaky == true
  run: gh workflow run CI

How It Works

1. Define Schema: Provide a JSON schema via --json-schema flag in claude_args
2. Claude Executes: Claude uses tools to complete your task
3. Validated Output: Result is validated against your schema
4. JSON Output: All fields are returned in a single structured_output JSON string

Accessing Structured Outputs

All structured output fields are available in the structured_output output as a JSON string:

In GitHub Actions expressions:

if: fromJSON(steps.analyze.outputs.structured_output).is_flaky == true
run: |
  CONFIDENCE=${{ fromJSON(steps.analyze.outputs.structured_output).confidence }}

In bash with jq:

- name: Process results
  run: |
    OUTPUT='${{ steps.analyze.outputs.structured_output }}'
    IS_FLAKY=$(echo "$OUTPUT" | jq -r '.is_flaky')
    SUMMARY=$(echo "$OUTPUT" | jq -r '.summary')

Note: Due to GitHub Actions limitations, composite actions cannot expose dynamic outputs. All fields are bundled in the single structured_output JSON string.

Complete Example

See examples/test-failure-analysis.yml for a working example that:

• Detects flaky test failures
• Uses confidence thresholds in conditionals
• Auto-retries workflows
• Comments on PRs

Documentation

For complete details on JSON Schema syntax and Agent SDK structured outputs: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/agent-sdk/structured-outputs

Ways to Tag @claude

These examples show how to interact with Claude using comments in PRs and issues. By default, Claude will be triggered anytime you mention @claude, but you can customize the exact trigger phrase using the trigger_phrase input in the workflow.

Claude will see the full PR context, including any comments.

Ask Questions

Add a comment to a PR or issue:

@claude What does this function do and how could we improve it?

Claude will analyze the code and provide a detailed explanation with suggestions.

Request Fixes

Ask Claude to implement specific changes:

@claude Can you add error handling to this function?

Code Review

Get a thorough review:

@claude Please review this PR and suggest improvements

Claude will analyze the changes and provide feedback.

Fix Bugs from Screenshots

Upload a screenshot of a bug and ask Claude to fix it:

@claude Here's a screenshot of a bug I'm seeing [upload screenshot]. Can you fix it?

Claude can see and analyze images, making it easy to fix visual bugs or UI issues.