GitHub Actions Artifact Expired - "artifact has expired" on Download

By Kaveh Alemi·Latchkey

A download of an older artifact fails because it has passed its retention period and was deleted. Artifacts are retained for a configurable window (90 days by default, less if overridden) and then removed.

What this error means

Re-running an old workflow, or downloading an artifact from a past run, fails because the artifact no longer exists - it expired and was garbage-collected.

Actions log

Error: Unable to download artifact(s): Artifact has expired
# the run is older than the retention period

Common causes

Retention period elapsed

Artifacts are deleted after their retention window. By default this is 90 days, but org/repo settings or retention-days can shorten it.

Relying on artifacts for long-term storage

Using build artifacts as a durable store fails once they expire. Artifacts are for short-lived run outputs, not archival.

How to fix it

Set retention-days to what you need

Raise retention-days (up to the repo/org maximum) for artifacts you must keep longer, within limits.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

- uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
  with:
    name: build
    path: dist
    retention-days: 30

Use durable storage for long-lived outputs

Push artifacts you need to keep to a release, package registry, or object storage (S3/GCS).
Do not depend on cross-run artifact downloads for runs older than retention.
Regenerate the artifact by re-running the producing job when needed.

How to prevent it

Treat artifacts as short-lived run outputs, not archives.
Set retention-days deliberately for artifacts you reuse.
Publish durable outputs to releases or object storage.

Frequently asked questions

What causes "Artifact expired"?