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Run GitHub Actions Locally With act

Execute workflow jobs on your machine to debug CI without pushing.

macOSautomationbuildgitLow risk
Run act -l to list workflows, then act to execute the default event locally.

01Command

Command
$ act -l

02What it does

act reads .github/workflows and runs the selected job inside a Docker container that mimics the GitHub runner. Use act -j build to target a job and act -n for a dry run, which shortens the push-wait-fix loop considerably.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
CompatibilitymacOS with Homebrew installed
!Warning: It needs a running Docker daemon and downloads large runner images the first time; secrets must be provided explicitly.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • Homebrew formula: act
    Homebrew · vendor-doc · 2026-09-20
    Evidence: Packages act, which runs GitHub Actions workflows in local containers.

Last verified: 2026-09-22 · Category: Developer

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