CI/CD with GitHub Actions: A Minimal Setup That Works

🎯 Keep It Simple

CI/CD doesn't need to be complicated. Here's a minimal GitHub Actions workflow that tests, builds, and deploys—without the enterprise bloat.

✅ Basic Workflow

Start with this:

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: '18'
      - run: npm install
      - run: npm test
      - run: npm run build

That's it. Tests run on every push and PR. If tests pass, you're good to merge.

🚀 Adding Deployment

For simple deployments, add a deploy job:

  deploy:
    needs: test
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Deploy to server
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@master
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.USERNAME }}
          key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
          script: |
            cd /var/www/app
            git pull
            npm install --production
            pm2 restart app

⚠️ Don't Overcomplicate

You don't need:

• Complex matrix builds (unless you actually test multiple versions)
• Separate staging/production workflows (unless you have both)
• Docker builds in CI (unless you're actually deploying containers)
• Slack notifications (unless your team actually reads them)

Start simple. Add complexity only when you need it.

💡 When to Add More

Add complexity when:

• You have multiple environments (staging, production)
• You need to test on multiple platforms
• You have complex build steps
• You need approval workflows

Until then, keep it simple.

💭 My Take

A simple CI/CD pipeline that works is better than a complex one that breaks. Start minimal, add features as you need them.

GitHub Actions makes it easy to get started. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.