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Beyond basic CI, GitHub Actions supports reusable workflows, composite actions, dynamic matrices, and OIDC authentication. This guide covers advanced patterns used by engineering teams at scale in 2026.
๐ Table of Contents
Reusable Workflows
# .github/workflows/reusable-test.yml
on:
workflow_call:
inputs:
python-version:
required: true
type: string
secrets:
codecov-token:
required: true
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- uses: actions/setup-python@v5
with:
python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
- run: pip install -r requirements.txt && pytest --cov
# Caller workflow
jobs:
run-tests:
uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable-test.yml
with:
python-version: '3.12'
secrets:
codecov-token: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
Dynamic Matrix (Generated at Runtime)
jobs:
generate-matrix:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
outputs:
matrix: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.matrix }}
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- id: set-matrix
run: |
SERVICES=$(ls services/ | jq -R -s -c 'split("\n")[:-1]')
echo "matrix={\"service\":$SERVICES}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
build:
needs: generate-matrix
strategy:
matrix: ${{ fromJson(needs.generate-matrix.outputs.matrix) }}
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: docker build services/${{ matrix.service }}
OIDC Authentication (No Long-Lived Secrets)
Use OIDC to exchange a short-lived GitHub token for cloud credentials. No stored secrets needed.
permissions:
id-token: write
contents: read
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Configure AWS (OIDC)
uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
with:
role-to-assume: arn:aws:iam::123456789:role/GitHubActionsRole
aws-region: us-east-1
- run: aws ecs update-service --cluster prod --service myapp --force-new-deployment
Environment Protection Rules
jobs:
staging:
environment: staging
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: ./deploy.sh staging
production:
environment: production # requires manual approval
needs: staging
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: ./deploy.sh production
Composite Actions
# .github/actions/setup-project/action.yml
name: Setup Project
inputs:
python-version:
default: '3.12'
runs:
using: composite
steps:
- uses: actions/setup-python@v5
with:
python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
- uses: actions/cache@v4
with:
path: ~/.cache/pip
key: pip-${{ hashFiles('requirements.txt') }}
- run: pip install -r requirements.txt
shell: bash
Conclusion
Reusable workflows eliminate duplication across repos. OIDC removes the need to store long-lived cloud credentials as secrets. Environment protection rules gate production deployments behind human approval. These three patterns are essential for any engineering team in 2026.
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