How to Automatically Bump and Tag a Version with GitHub Tag Action

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name: Bump version
on:
  pull_request:
    types:
      - closed
    branches:
      - master

jobs:
  build:
    if: github.event.pull_request.merged == true
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    permissions:
      contents: write
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      with:
        ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.merge_commit_sha }}
        fetch-depth: '0'

    - name: Bump version and push tag
      uses: anothrNick/github-tag-action@v1
      env:
        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
        WITH_V: true
        PRERELEASE: true

Github Tag Action

A GitHub Action to tag a repo on merge.

What is GitHub Tag Action?​

GitHub Tag Action automatically bumps the version and tags the master branch based on semantic versioning (SemVer) formatting. It’s a helpful tool to keep your repository versions up-to-date with minimal manual input.

How to Use GitHub Token​

The GITHUB_TOKEN is required to give permission to tag the repository. This should be stored securely in your GitHub secrets.

with:
  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

How to Set Default Bump Type​

The DEFAULT_BUMP determines the default version bump type (e.g., major, minor, or patch) when no specific tag is found in the commit message.

with:
  DEFAULT_BUMP: minor

How to Define the Default Branch​

Use the DEFAULT_BRANCH to specify a branch other than master or main as the default branch for version bumps.

with:
  DEFAULT_BRANCH: develop

How to Add "v" Prefix to Version Tags​

The WITH_V input lets you prefix your version tags with "v" (e.g., v1.0.0).

with:
  WITH_V: true

How to Define Release Branches​

The RELEASE_BRANCHES option defines which branches generate release tags. Other branches generate pre-release versions with commit hashes.

with:
  RELEASE_BRANCHES: master,release/*

How to Set a Custom Tag​

The CUSTOM_TAG option lets you define a custom tag, which is useful when you want to set specific versioning strategies, such as when using Docker images.

with:
  CUSTOM_TAG: my-custom-tag

How to Operate on a Relative Path​

The SOURCE option allows the action to operate on a relative path under $GITHUB_WORKSPACE.

with:
  SOURCE: my-subdirectory/

How to Perform a Dry Run​

The DRY_RUN option simulates the next version bump without actually tagging the branch. It’s useful for testing your workflow.

with:
  DRY_RUN: true

How to Use GitHub API for Tagging​

You can specify whether to use the GitHub API or git CLI for tagging operations using the GIT_API_TAGGING option. By default, it uses the API.

with:
  GIT_API_TAGGING: true

How to Set Initial Version​

The INITIAL_VERSION option sets the initial version before the first bump (default: 0.0.0).

with:
  INITIAL_VERSION: 1.0.0

How to Specify Tag Context​

The TAG_CONTEXT option determines whether to base the version tag on the entire repository (repo) or just the current branch (branch).

with:
  TAG_CONTEXT: branch

How to Enable Pre-release Mode​

The PRERELEASE option enables pre-release mode, which appends a pre-release identifier to the version tag.

with:
  PRERELEASE: true

How to Set Pre-release Suffix​

The PRERELEASE_SUFFIX option allows you to define a custom suffix for pre-releases (default: beta).

with:
  PRERELEASE_SUFFIX: alpha

How to Set Verbose Logging​

Enable verbose logging by setting the VERBOSE option to true. This will print git logs, which can help with debugging.

with:
  VERBOSE: true

How to Customize Commit Message Tags​

You can customize the commit message tags used for version bumps (#major, #minor, #patch) using the respective options.

with:
  MAJOR_STRING_TOKEN: #breaking-change
  MINOR_STRING_TOKEN: #feature
  PATCH_STRING_TOKEN: #bugfix

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