Modify Dev Deployment Job to use Environment tags

Now that you’ve configured a GitHub Actions environment with protection rules, secrets, and variables, let’s update the dev-deploy job so it automatically picks up the right replica count and enforces your environment policies.

Prerequisites

A GitHub repository with an development environment that has:
- One protection rule (e.g., required reviewers or wait timer)
- One secret
- Two environment-level variables
A working Kubernetes cluster for the development namespace
A Docker build job named docker in your workflow

Environment-level variables override repository-level variables. In our example, the repository variable REPLICAS is set to 2, while in the development environment it’s set to 1.

The image shows a GitHub repository settings page focused on configuring environments, with options for protection rules, secrets, and variables.

The image shows a GitHub repository settings page focused on "Secrets and variables," displaying environment and repository variables with options to manage or update them.

Verify Current Kubernetes Deployment

Before modifying the workflow, let’s confirm the existing deployment in the development namespace:

kubectl -n development get deployments.apps
# NAME           READY   UP-TO-DATE   AVAILABLE   AGE
kubectl -n development get pods
# NAME                                  READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
# solar-system-6db5dfbrf8c-96qcz        1/1     Running   0          26m
# solar-system-6db5dfbrf8c-psbxx        1/1     Running   0          26m

You should see two replicas running (2/2). Now we’ll update the dev-deploy job in .github/workflows/solar-system.yml.

Adding the `environment` Block

Within a GitHub Actions job:

env: defines environment variables for all steps.
environment: applies GitHub environment protection rules and can display a URL in the Actions UI.

Step 1: Basic `environment` Definition

Replace or augment the env: block with:

jobs:
  dev-deploy:
    needs: docker
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    # Variables for all steps:
    env:
      APP_INGRESS_URL: ${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}

    # Enforce your GitHub environment rules:
    environment:
      name: development
      url: https://
    
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Repo
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Install kubectl CLI
        uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v3
        with:
          version: 'v1.26.0'
      - name: Set Kubeconfig file
        uses: azure/k8s-set-context@v3
        with:
          method: kubeconfig

Step 2: Populate the `url:` Field

Use the output of your set-ingress-host-address step so that Actions shows a direct link to the deployed service:

jobs:
  dev-deploy:
    needs: docker
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    environment:
      name: development
      url: https://${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}

    outputs:
      APP_INGRESS_URL: ${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}

    steps:
      - name: Checkout Repo
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Install kubectl CLI
        uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v3
        with:
          version: 'v1.26.0'
      - name: Set Kubeconfig file
        uses: azure/k8s-set-context@v3

Step 3: Full Workflow Snippet

Below is the relevant section from .github/workflows/solar-system.yml after adding environment:

.github/workflows/solar-system.yml:
  jobs:
    unit-testing: {}
    code-coverage: {}
    docker: {}
    dev-deploy:
      needs: docker
      runs-on: ubuntu-latest

      environment:
        name: development
        url: https://${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}

      outputs:
        APP_INGRESS_URL: ${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}

      steps:
        - name: Checkout Repo
          uses: actions/checkout@v4
        - name: Install kubectl CLI
          uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v3
          with:
            version: 'v1.26.0'
        - name: Set Kubeconfig file
          uses: azure/k8s-set-context@v3

Observing the Protection Rule in Action

When you push these changes, the dev-deploy job will pause at the environment step, waiting out the protection rule’s timer:

The image shows a GitHub Actions workflow interface with a series of jobs including unit testing, code coverage, and containerization, currently in progress. The workflow is triggered by a push to a specific branch.

Clicking on the paused job reveals the wait timer and any bypass options available to admins:

The image shows a GitHub Actions interface with a confirmation dialog for deploying to a development environment, including a comment box for manual override.

Only HTTP/S URLs are supported in the environment.url field.

Once approved, the summary displays the environment URL for easy access.

Tracking Deployments Across Environments (Public Beta)

GitHub’s public beta for deployment tracking shows a history of every deployment per environment under Actions → Deployments. You can review commit details, branch names, timestamps, and durations in one interface.

The image shows a GitHub blog post announcing a public beta for a new deployment tracking feature across environments, with a list of capabilities for developers and DevOps managers.

Developers and managers can:

Inspect past deployments
Compare changes
Sign off on releases

Quick Reference Table

Field	Description
name	The GitHub environment name (e.g., `development`, `staging`)
url	The HTTP/S link displayed in the Actions UI for quick access
protection	Rules such as required reviewers, wait timers, or secrets usage

Scope and Precedence of Variables

Scope	Precedence	Example `REPLICAS` Value
Environment	High	`1`
Repository	Low	`2`

Key Snippet for `dev-deploy`

dev-deploy:
  needs: docker
  runs-on: ubuntu-latest
  environment:
    name: development
    url: https://${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}
  outputs:
    APP_INGRESS_URL: ${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}

Introduction

Continuous Integration with GitHub Actions

Continuous Deployment with GitHub Actions

Reusable Workflows and Reporting

Custom Actions

Self Hosted Runner

Security Guide

GitHub Actions - Core Concepts

Modify Dev Deployment Job to use Environment tags

Prerequisites

Verify Current Kubernetes Deployment

Adding the `environment` Block

Step 1: Basic `environment` Definition

Step 2: Populate the `url:` Field

Step 3: Full Workflow Snippet

Observing the Protection Rule in Action

Tracking Deployments Across Environments (Public Beta)

Quick Reference Table

Scope and Precedence of Variables

Key Snippet for `dev-deploy`

Links and References

Watch Video

​Prerequisites

​Verify Current Kubernetes Deployment

​Adding the environment Block

​Step 1: Basic environment Definition

​Step 2: Populate the url: Field

​Step 3: Full Workflow Snippet

​Observing the Protection Rule in Action

​Tracking Deployments Across Environments (Public Beta)

​Quick Reference Table

​Scope and Precedence of Variables

​Key Snippet for dev-deploy

​Links and References

Watch Video

Prerequisites

Verify Current Kubernetes Deployment

Adding the `environment` Block

Step 1: Basic `environment` Definition

Step 2: Populate the `url:` Field

Step 3: Full Workflow Snippet

Observing the Protection Rule in Action

Tracking Deployments Across Environments (Public Beta)

Quick Reference Table

Scope and Precedence of Variables

Key Snippet for `dev-deploy`

Links and References