GitHub Actions "This action is deprecated" - Old actions/<x>@v1/@v2

By Kaveh Alemi·Latchkey

A workflow warns or fails because it pins an old major of an action that GitHub has deprecated - typically one built on a Node runtime (Node 12/16) that current runners no longer support.

What this error means

A run shows a deprecation warning naming a specific action and version, or a step fails outright because the action's Node runtime is no longer available on the runner.

Actions log

Warning: The `actions/checkout@v1` action is deprecated.
# or, once removed:
Error: This action runs on Node16 which is deprecated and no longer supported.

Common causes

Pinned to a deprecated action major

Old majors (checkout@v1, setup-node@v2, upload-artifact@v3) are deprecated as newer versions ship. They warn first and eventually stop working.

Action built on a removed Node runtime

JavaScript actions declare a Node runtime in their action.yml. When GitHub drops Node 12/16 from runners, actions pinned to those runtimes fail to execute.

How to fix it

Upgrade to a current major

Bump each action to its latest supported major, reading its changelog for breaking changes.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
- uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4

Automate version currency

Enable Dependabot for github-actions so PRs bump deprecated majors automatically.
Read each action's migration notes - major bumps can change inputs or outputs.
Pin to a tag or full SHA of the new major after verifying it.

How to prevent it

Keep actions on supported majors via Dependabot.
Watch for deprecation warnings in run logs and act before removal.
Avoid pinning to long-unmaintained action versions.

Frequently asked questions

What causes "Deprecated action version"?