Hands-on demo – Creating encrypted secrets in GitHub Actions

Hands-on demo – Creating encrypted secrets in GitHub Actions

GitHub provides the ability to create encrypted secrets at both the repository and organization levels. These secrets are secure variables that can be used in workflows to manage sensitive data like API keys, tokens, and credentials.

1. Creating Secrets for a Repository

Steps to Add Repository Secrets

1. Navigate to your GitHub repository.

2. Click Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions.

3. Click New repository secret.

4. Provide a Name and Value (the secret) and click Add secret.

Example: Repository Secrets

• Name: MY_API_KEY

• Value: super-secret-api-key

2. Creating Secrets for an Organization

Steps to Add Organization Secrets

1. Navigate to your GitHub organization.

2. Click Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions.

3. Click New organization secret.

4. Provide a Name and Value and click Add secret.

Example: Organization Secrets

• Name: ORG_API_KEY

• Value: organization-wide-api-key

Using Secrets in GitHub Actions

Secrets created at either the repository or organization level can be accessed securely in workflows using the $GITHUB_SECRETS_NAME syntax.

Using Repository Secrets in Workflows

Example: Using Repository Secrets

xxxxxxxxxx
16
1
name: Deploy to Production
2
on:
3
  push:
4
    branches:
5
     - main
6
jobs:
7
  deploy:
8
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
9
    steps:
10
     - name: Checkout Repository
11
        uses: actions/checkout@v3
12
     - name: Deploy Application
13
        run: ./deploy.sh
14
        env:
15
          DATABASE_URL: ${{ secrets.DATABASE_URL }}
16
          API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MY_API_KEY }}

Using Organization Secrets in Workflows

Example: Using Organization Secrets

xxxxxxxxxx
16
1
name: Deploy to Production (Organization)
2
on:
3
  push:
4
    branches:
5
     - main
6
jobs:
7
  deploy:
8
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
9
    steps:
10
     - name: Checkout Repository
11
        uses: actions/checkout@v3
12
     - name: Deploy Application
13
        run: ./deploy.sh
14
        env:
15
          DATABASE_URL: ${{ secrets.ORG_DATABASE_URL }}
16
          API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ORG_API_KEY }}

Best Practices for Using Secrets

1. Scope Secrets: Restrict secrets to specific repositories or workflows for security.

2. Secret Rotation: Regularly update and rotate secrets to maintain security.

3. Use Environment Variables: Keep secrets in environment variables within your workflow for enhanced security.

Summary

By using encrypted secrets for both repositories and organizations, you ensure secure access to sensitive data in GitHub Actions workflows.