---
title: Workflow commands for GitHub Actions
shortTitle: Workflow commands
intro: You can use workflow commands when running shell commands in a workflow or in an action's code.
product: '{% data reusables.gated-features.actions %}'
redirect_from:
  - /articles/development-tools-for-github-actions
  - /github/automating-your-workflow-with-github-actions/development-tools-for-github-actions
  - /actions/automating-your-workflow-with-github-actions/development-tools-for-github-actions
  - /actions/reference/development-tools-for-github-actions
  - /actions/reference/logging-commands-for-github-actions
versions:
  free-pro-team: '*'
  enterprise-server: '>=2.22'
---

{% data reusables.actions.enterprise-beta %}
{% data reusables.actions.enterprise-github-hosted-runners %}

### About workflow commands

Actions can communicate with the runner machine to set environment variables, output values used by other actions, add debug messages to the output logs, and other tasks.

Workflow commands use the `echo` command in a specific format.

``` bash
echo "::workflow-command parameter1={data},parameter2={data}::{command value}"
```

{% note %}

**Note:** Workflow command and parameter names are not case-sensitive.

{% endnote %}

{% warning %}

**Warning:** If you are using Command Prompt, omit double quote characters (`"`) when using workflow commands.

{% endwarning %}

### Using workflow commands to access toolkit functions

The [actions/toolkit](https://github.com/actions/toolkit) includes a number of functions that can be executed as workflow commands. Use the `::` syntax to run the workflow commands within your YAML file; these commands are then sent to the runner over `stdout`. For example, instead of using code to set an environment variable, as below:

```javascript
core.exportVariable('SELECTED_COLOR', 'green');
```

You can use the `set-env` command in your workflow to set the same value:

``` yaml
      - name: Set selected color
        run: echo '::set-env name=SELECTED_COLOR::green'
      - name: Get color
        run: echo 'The selected color is' $SELECTED_COLOR
```

The following table shows which toolkit functions are available within a workflow:

| Toolkit function| Equivalent workflow command|
| -------------   |  ------------- |
| `core.addPath` |  `add-path`   |
| `core.debug` |  `debug`   |
| `core.error`   |   `error`   |
| `core.endGroup`   |   `endgroup`   |
| `core.exportVariable`   | `set-env`      |
| `core.getInput`        |     Accessible using environment variable `INPUT_{NAME}`          |
| `core.getState`   |  Accessible using environment variable `STATE_{NAME}`   |
| `core.isDebug`   |   Accessible using environment variable `RUNNER_DEBUG`  |
| `core.saveState`  |  `save-state`    |
| `core.setFailed` |   Used as a shortcut for `::error` and `exit 1`   |
| `core.setOutput`       |  `set-output`      |
| `core.setSecret`     |  `add-mask`      |
| `core.startGroup`   |  `group`    |
| `core.warning`  |    `warning file` |

### Setting an environment variable

`::set-env name={name}::{value}`

Creates or updates an environment variable for any actions running next in a job. The action that creates or updates the environment variable does not have access to the new value, but all subsequent actions in a job will have access. Environment variables are case-sensitive and you can include punctuation.

#### Example

``` bash
echo "::set-env name=action_state::yellow"
```

### Setting an output parameter

`::set-output name={name}::{value}`

Sets an action's output parameter.

Optionally, you can also declare output parameters in an action's metadata file. For more information, see "[Metadata syntax for {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %}](/articles/metadata-syntax-for-github-actions#outputs)."

#### Example

``` bash
echo "::set-output name=action_fruit::strawberry"
```

### Adding a system path

`::add-path::{path}`

Prepends a directory to the system `PATH` variable for all subsequent actions in the current job. The currently running action cannot access the new path variable.

#### Example

``` bash
echo "::add-path::/path/to/dir"
```

### Setting a debug message

`::debug::{message}`

Prints a debug message to the log. You must create a secret named `ACTIONS_STEP_DEBUG` with the value `true` to see the debug messages set by this command in the log. For more information, see "[Enabling debug logging](/actions/managing-workflow-runs/enabling-debug-logging)."

#### Example

``` bash
echo "::debug::Set the Octocat variable"
```

### Setting a warning message

`::warning file={name},line={line},col={col}::{message}`

Creates a warning message and prints the message to the log. You can optionally provide a filename (`file`), line number (`line`), and column (`col`) number where the warning occurred.

#### Example

``` bash
echo "::warning file=app.js,line=1,col=5::Missing semicolon"
```

### Setting an error message

`::error file={name},line={line},col={col}::{message}`

Creates an error message and prints the message to the log. You can optionally provide a filename (`file`), line number (`line`), and column (`col`) number where the warning occurred.

#### Example

``` bash
echo "::error file=app.js,line=10,col=15::Something went wrong"
```

### Masking a value in log

`::add-mask::{value}`

Masking a value prevents a string or variable from being printed in the log. Each masked word separated by whitespace is replaced with the `*` character. You can use an environment variable or string for the mask's `value`.

#### Example masking a string

When you print `"Mona The Octocat"` in the log, you'll see `"***"`.

```bash
echo "::add-mask::Mona The Octocat"
```

#### Example masking an environment variable

When you print the variable `MY_NAME` or the value `"Mona The Octocat"` in the log, you'll see `"***"` instead of `"Mona The Octocat"`.

```bash
MY_NAME="Mona The Octocat"
echo "::add-mask::$MY_NAME"
```

### Stopping and starting workflow commands

`::stop-commands::{endtoken}`

Stops processing any workflow commands. This special command allows you to log anything without accidentally running a workflow command. For example, you could stop logging to output an entire script that has comments.

#### Example stopping workflow commands

``` bash
echo "::stop-commands::pause-logging"
```

To start workflow commands, pass the token that you used to stop workflow commands.

`::{endtoken}::`

#### Example starting workflow commands

``` bash
echo "::pause-logging::"
```

### Sending values to the pre and post actions

You can use the `save-state` command to create environment variables for sharing with your workflow's `pre:` or `post:` actions. For example, you can create a file with the `pre:` action,  pass the file location to the `main:` action, and then use the `post:` action to delete the file. Alternatively, you could create a file with the `main:` action, pass the file location to the `post:` action, and also use the `post:` action to delete the file.

If you have multiple `pre:` or `post:` actions, you can only access the saved value in the action where `save-state` was used. For more information on the `post:` action, see "[Metadata syntax for {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %}](/actions/creating-actions/metadata-syntax-for-github-actions#post)."

The `save-state`  command can only be run within an action, and is not available to YAML files. The saved value is stored as an environment value with the `STATE_` prefix.

This example uses JavaScript to run the `save-state` command. The resulting environment variable is named `STATE_processID` with the value of `12345`:

``` javascript
console.log('::save-state name=processID::12345')
```

The `STATE_processID` variable is then exclusively available to the cleanup script running under the `main` action. This example runs in `main` and uses JavaScript to display the value assigned to the `STATE_processID` environment variable:

``` javascript
console.log("The running PID from the main action is: " +  process.env.STATE_processID);
```