Possible bug with workflow result indicator

[mikenakis]

Why are you starting this discussion?

Bug

What GitHub Actions topic or product is this about?

Misc

Discussion Details

On the front page of a repository, at the top of the list of files, right next to the last commit message, GitHub normally shows an indicator which reflects the status of the GitHub Actions Workflow that was triggered as a result of the commit. (Using some logic which is unclear to me, since multiple actions may be triggered.)

In the image below you can see this indicator as a brown-orange dot, meaning that the action is currently running. (For some reason the tooltip does not say "running', it says "pending", but what it actually means is 'running".)

Normally, this indicator will later turn into either a green dot or a red 'x', depending on whether the action succeeds or fails.

However, on my repository, when the action is done, this indicator disappears. There is no green dot or 'x' for me.

My repository is here: MikeNakis.Testing

Does anyone know why this is happening?

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[mikenakis]

I suspect this is happening because the action changes a file, adds a tag, and then does a commit-and-push.

It appears that GitHub is smart enough to figure out that the commit-and-push was done from an action, so it does not start another action as a result of the new commit, because that would cause an infinite loop of actions.

So, GitHub does not display an indicator for the latest commit because no action was actually run for that last commit.

Am I right?

[bunnycop9512]

Based on community reports & documentation, here are common reasons for missing final status:

The workflow run triggered, but the commit that got built is not the “last commit” anymore.
For example, if you push multiple commits in quick succession: one starts the workflow (shows pending), but before it completes you push another. GitHub may only show status for the latest commit — so when the earlier workflow completes, it no longer maps to the “current last commit,” and the indicator vanishes.

The run is for a different branch than the default/relevant branch. If the workflow wasn’t triggered for the default branch (or whatever branch GitHub expects for displaying the icon), GitHub might not show a status icon on the master repository view.

The workflow completed but didn’t report a “check result” in a way GitHub recognises (e.g. skipped or wrongly configured). Because GitHub distinguishes between “checks” and “old-style commit statuses,” if your workflow or integration doesn’t produce a valid check run result, GitHub won’t show a final icon.

A bug / glitch in GitHub’s UI or status-caching. Some people have reported that status icons disappear for no obvious reason after workflows complete — possibly due to rendering or backend caching issues.

🔎 What you can check (on your repo) to debug this

Check the branch and commit tied to the workflow run

Open the “Actions” tab and see which commit the workflow ran on. Is it the same as the “last commit” shown on the main repo page?

If not — that explains why no icon: GitHub only shows status for the HEAD commit of the branch.

Verify that the workflow completes with a check result

Click into the run — make sure it ends with “success” or “failure,” and not “cancelled” or “skipped.”

If subsequent steps (e.g. notifications) override a failed run without marking the workflow as failed, GitHub may treat it as successful — or as if no check was reported.

Check whether you triggered multiple commits quickly

If you pushed multiple commits before the first workflow finished, GitHub might drop the status for older commits once newer ones are pushed.

Check that the repo’s default branch / settings align with where the workflow runs

If your workflow runs on a nondefault branch (or if default branch changed), status icons may not show up.