cicd workflow_syntax ai_generated true

Error: .github/workflows/ci.yml: Unexpected value 'on'

ID: cicd/gha-workflow-syntax-error

Also available as: JSON · Markdown
95%Fix Rate
93%Confidence
50Evidence
2023-01-01First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
any active — — —

Root Cause

GitHub Actions workflow YAML file contains syntax errors such as incorrect indentation, invalid keys, or malformed expressions. The workflow fails before any jobs run.

generic

Workarounds

  1. 93% success Validate the workflow YAML locally using actionlint before pushing 
    Install actionlint (brew install actionlint or download binary), run 'actionlint .github/workflows/ci.yml' and fix all reported issues
  2. 88% success Use the GitHub Actions workflow editor in the browser for real-time validation 
    Navigate to repo > Actions > New workflow, paste your YAML, and fix any red-underlined errors before committing

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. Blindly re-indent the entire YAML file with a text editor auto-format 55% fail

    Auto-formatters can break YAML anchors, multi-line strings, and GitHub Actions-specific syntax like ${{ }} expressions

  2. Copy a workflow template from an outdated blog post without adapting it 60% fail

    GitHub Actions syntax evolves; older templates may use deprecated keys or removed features

  3. Ignore the error and re-run the workflow hoping it passes 99% fail

    Syntax errors are deterministic and will never self-resolve on retry

Error Chain

Leads to:
Preceded by:
Frequently confused with: