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Sharing data files across jobs in a multi-job GitHub Actions workflow is easy with the upload and download artifact actions. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a simple ASCII art file in one job, upload it as an artifact, then download and use it in subsequent test and deploy jobs.
This example uses the Ubuntu runner and the cowsay utility to generate a dragon.txt file. You can adapt it to any file or command.

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1. Initial Workflow Structure

Below is a basic workflow that generates a dragon.txt file but does not yet share it between jobs:
To pass files from build_job_1 to downstream jobs, use the actions/upload-artifact and actions/download-artifact actions.
The image shows a GitHub Actions page for "Upload a Build Artifact," detailing version 3.1.3 with features and updates for uploading artifacts in workflows.

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2. Uploading Artifacts

Use actions/upload-artifact@v3 to upload files or directories as build artifacts. Here’s the minimal syntax:
The image shows a GitHub Marketplace page for the "Download a Build Artifact" action, detailing its version, features, and usage instructions. It includes options to use the latest version and shows contributor avatars.

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3. Downloading Artifacts

In downstream jobs, invoke actions/download-artifact@v3 to retrieve the artifact:

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4. Integrate Upload in the Build Job

Modify build_job_1 to upload the generated dragon.txt:

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5. Download in the Test Job

Ensure test_job_2 depends on build_job_1 and downloads the artifact before running assertions:

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6. Download in the Deploy Job

Similarly, pull the artifact in deploy_job_3 to read and then deploy:

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7. Workflow in Action

When you push these changes, GitHub Actions uploads and downloads the artifact across jobs.
The image shows a GitHub Actions workflow interface with a failed job sequence, where "test_job_2" has failed, causing the overall status to be marked as "Failure."
Once all steps are configured correctly, the workflow completes successfully and the artifact persists in the workflow summary.
The image shows a GitHub Actions workflow summary with three completed jobs: build, test, and deploy. The workflow was successful, taking 40 seconds, and produced an artifact named "dragon-text-file."

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Sample Download Log

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8. Artifact Retention Policy

By default, uploaded artifacts are retained for 90 days. To adjust this setting:
  • Go to your repository’s Settings → Actions → Artifact and log retention.
  • Update the retention period as needed.
Increasing retention beyond 90 days may count against your GitHub storage quota.
The image shows a GitHub repository settings page focused on "Actions permissions," where options for allowing or disabling actions and reusable workflows are displayed. It also includes settings for artifact and log retention and fork pull request workflows.

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References

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