GitHub Actions actions/upload-artifact@v3 deprecation / migrate to v4

By Kaveh Alemi·Latchkey

The v3 artifact actions run on a backend GitHub is retiring; v4 changes the storage model (immutable, faster, per-name uniqueness), so migration is required and not always a drop-in bump.

What this error means

Annotations warn that actions/upload-artifact@v3 or download-artifact@v3 is deprecated and recommend v4. Runs still work for now but are on borrowed time.

Warning: This version of actions/upload-artifact is deprecated. Please upgrade to actions/upload-artifact@v4.

Common causes

Pinned to v3 artifact actions

The workflow references upload-artifact@v3 or download-artifact@v3.

v3/v4 incompatibility not yet addressed

v4 artifacts are immutable and uniquely named, so behaviors that relied on v3 (re-upload to same name, partial downloads) need changes.

How to fix it

Migrate to v4 and adjust behavior

1. Bump upload-artifact and download-artifact to @v4.
2. Give each upload a unique name (v4 names are immutable).
3. Use merge-multiple or download all artifacts where v3 combined them.

- uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
  with:
    name: build-${{ matrix.os }}
    path: dist/

How to prevent it

• Pin artifact actions to a supported major.
• Design uploads around v4 immutable, unique names.
• Watch deprecation annotations in CI.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• GitHub Actions documentation
• Workflow syntax for GitHub Actions