GitHub Actions on.push.tags glob does not match the pushed tag

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

on.push.tags filters by tag-name glob. If the pattern does not match the pushed tag exactly - missing a prefix, wrong wildcard, or a v that is not there - the workflow is never triggered for that tag.

What this error means

Pushing a tag does not start the workflow even though it has an on.push.tags trigger.

on:
  push:
    tags: ['v*.*.*']
# pushed tag 'release-1.2.3' does not match -> no run

Common causes

Glob does not match the tag scheme

v*.*.* requires a leading v and three dot-separated segments; other schemes do not match.

Pushing branch, not tag

A push that does not create/update a tag ref never satisfies on.push.tags.

How to fix it

Broaden or correct the tag glob

1. Match the actual tag naming with a correct glob (e.g. v* or a more permissive pattern).
2. Test against a real tag name before relying on it.

on:
  push:
    tags:
      - 'v[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+'
      - 'release-*'

Ensure the tag is actually pushed

1. Push tags explicitly with git push origin <tag> or git push --tags.
2. Confirm the ref appears under refs/tags on the remote.

How to prevent it

• Align the tags glob with your real tag naming convention.
• Push tags explicitly so the tag ref event fires.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• GitHub Actions documentation
• Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions