Golang Continuous Integration

---
name: golang-continuous-integration
description: "GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline configuration for Golang projects — workflow files for test, lint, SAST, coverage and vulnerability-scan jobs, Dependabot and Renovate config files, GoReleaser release pipelines, Docker build/push, repository security settings, and AI-driven PR review. Use when setting up or improving Go project CI, writing or fixing `.github/workflows/*.yml`, adding a linter or security scanner as a pipeline job, wiring automated dependency-update bots, or adding quality gates. Covers wiring tools into a pipeline, not the analysis they perform: do NOT use for choosing or interpreting security findings (→ See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-security` skill) or for choosing, upgrading, or auditing dependency versions (→ See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-dependency-management` skill)."
user-invocable: true
license: MIT
compatibility: Designed for Claude Code, Codex or similar harness, and for projects using Golang.
metadata:
  author: samber
  version: "1.4.2"
  openclaw:
    emoji: "🚀"
    homepage: https://github.com/samber/cc-skills-golang
    requires:
      bins:
        - go
        - goreleaser
        - gh
    install:
      - kind: brew
        formula: goreleaser
        bins: [goreleaser]
      - kind: brew
        formula: gh
        bins: [gh]
      - kind: npm
        package: skills
        bins: [skills]
allowed-tools: Read Edit Write Glob Grep Bash(go:*) Bash(golangci-lint:*) Bash(git:*) Agent WebFetch Bash(goreleaser:*) Bash(gh:*) AskUserQuestion
---

**Persona:** You are a Go DevOps engineer. You treat CI as a quality gate — every pipeline decision is weighed against build speed, signal reliability, and security posture.

**Modes:**

- **Setup** — adding CI to a project for the first time: start with the Quick Reference table, then generate workflows in this order: test → lint → security → release. Prefer the latest stable major version for each GitHub Action.
- **Improve** — auditing or extending an existing pipeline: read current workflow files first, identify gaps against the Quick Reference table, then propose targeted additions without duplicating existing steps.

**Dependencies:**

- goreleaser: `go install github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/v2@latest`
- gh: `brew install gh`

# Go Continuous Integration

Set up production-grade CI/CD pipelines for Go projects using GitHub Actions.

## Action Versions

The versions in the examples below are reference versions that may be outdated. GitHub Actions release frequently — the current major version for each action (`actions/checkout`, `actions/setup-go`, `golangci/golangci-lint-action`, `codecov/codecov-action`, `goreleaser/goreleaser-action`, etc.) may differ from what is shown here.

## Quick Reference

| Stage         | Tool                        | Purpose                       |
| ------------- | --------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Test**      | `go test -race`             | Unit + race detection         |
| **Coverage**  | `codecov/codecov-action`    | Coverage reporting            |
| **Lint**      | `golangci-lint`             | Comprehensive linting         |
| **Vet**       | `go vet`                    | Built-in static analysis      |
| **SAST**      | `gosec`, `CodeQL`, `Bearer` | Security static analysis      |
| **Vuln scan** | `govulncheck`               | Known vulnerability detection |
| **Docker**    | `docker/build-push-action`  | Multi-platform image builds   |
| **Deps**      | Dependabot / Renovate       | Automated dependency updates  |
| **Release**   | GoReleaser                  | Automated binary releases     |
| **AI Review** | Claude Code / Copilot       | AI-powered PR review          |

---

## Testing

`.github/workflows/test.yml` — see [test.yml](./assets/test.yml)

Adapt the Go version matrix to match `go.mod`:

```
go 1.23   → matrix: ["1.23", "1.24", "1.25", "1.26", "1.27", "stable"]
go 1.24   → matrix: ["1.24", "1.25", "1.26", "1.27", "stable"]
go 1.25   → matrix: ["1.25", "1.26", "1.27", "stable"]
go 1.26   → matrix: ["1.26", "1.27", "stable"]
go 1.27   → matrix: ["1.27", "stable"]
```

Use `fail-fast: false` so a failure on one Go version doesn't cancel the others.

Go 1.27 raises the Darwin floor to macOS 13 (Ventura). `macos-latest`/`macos-14`+ runners are unaffected; only pin an older `macos-12` runner if a project still needs it, and note it can no longer build with a Go 1.27 toolchain.

Test flags:

- `-race`: CI MUST run tests with the `-race` flag (catches data races — undefined behavior in Go)
- `-shuffle=on`: Randomize test order to catch inter-test dependencies
- `-coverprofile`: Generate coverage data
- `git diff --exit-code`: Fails if `go mod tidy` changes anything

### Coverage Configuration

CI SHOULD enforce code coverage thresholds. Configure thresholds in `codecov.yml` at the repo root — see [codecov.yml](./assets/codecov.yml)

---

## Integration Tests

`.github/workflows/integration.yml` — see [integration.yml](./assets/integration.yml)

Use `-count=1` to disable test caching — cached results can hide flaky service interactions.

---

## Linting

`golangci-lint` MUST be run in CI on every PR. `.github/workflows/lint.yml` — see [lint.yml](./assets/lint.yml)

### golangci-lint Configuration

Create `.golangci.yml` at the root of the project. See the `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-lint` skill for the recommended configuration.

---

## Security & SAST

`.github/workflows/security.yml` — see [security.yml](./assets/security.yml)

CI MUST run `govulncheck` — it only reports vulnerabilities in code paths your project actually calls, unlike generic CVE scanners.

- CodeQL results appear in the repository's Security tab.
- Bearer is good at detecting sensitive data flow issues.

### CodeQL Configuration

Create `.github/codeql/codeql-config.yml` to use the extended security query suite — see [codeql-config.yml](./assets/codeql-config.yml)

Available query suites:

- **default**: Standard security queries
- **security-extended**: Extra security queries with slightly lower precision
- **security-and-quality**: Security queries plus maintainability and reliability checks

### Container Image Scanning

If the project produces Docker images, Trivy container scanning is included in the Docker workflow — see [docker.yml](./assets/docker.yml)

---

## Dependency Management

### Dependabot

`.github/dependabot.yml` — see [dependabot.yml](./assets/dependabot.yml)

Minor/patch updates are grouped into a single PR. Major updates get individual PRs since they may have breaking changes.

#### Auto-Merge for Dependabot

`.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml` — see [dependabot-auto-merge.yml](./assets/dependabot-auto-merge.yml)

> **Security warning:** This workflow requires `contents: write` and `pull-requests: write` — these are elevated permissions that allow merging PRs and modifying repository content. The `if: github.actor == 'dependabot[bot]'` guard restricts execution to Dependabot only. Do not remove this guard. Note that `github.actor` checks are not fully spoof-proof — **branch protection rules are the real safety net**. Ensure branch protection is configured (see [Repository Security Settings](#repository-security-settings)) with required status checks and required approvals so that auto-merge only succeeds after all checks pass, regardless of who triggered the workflow.

### Renovate (alternative)

Renovate is a more mature and configurable alternative to Dependabot. It supports automerge natively, grouping, scheduling, regex managers, and monorepo-aware updates. If Dependabot feels too limited, Renovate is the go-to choice.

Install the [Renovate GitHub App](https://github.com/apps/renovate), then create `renovate.json` at the repo root — see [renovate.json](./assets/renovate.json)

Key advantages over Dependabot:

- **`gomodTidy`**: Automatically runs `go mod tidy` after updates
- **Native automerge**: No separate workflow needed
- **Better grouping**: More flexible rules for grouping PRs
- **Regex managers**: Can update versions in Dockerfiles, Makefiles, etc.
- **Monorepo support**: Handles Go workspaces and multi-module repos

---

## Release Automation

GoReleaser automates binary builds, checksums, and GitHub Releases. The configuration varies significantly depending on the project type.

### Release Workflow

`.github/workflows/release.yml` — see [release.yml](./assets/release.yml)

> **Security warning:** This workflow requires `contents: write` to create GitHub Releases. It is restricted to tag pushes (`tags: ["v*"]`) so it cannot be triggered by pull requests or branch pushes. Only users with push access to the repository can create tags.

### GoReleaser for CLI/Programs

Programs need cross-compiled binaries, archives, and optionally Docker images.

`.goreleaser.yml` — see [goreleaser-cli.yml](./assets/goreleaser-cli.yml)

### GoReleaser for Libraries

Libraries don't produce binaries — they only need a GitHub Release with a changelog. Use a minimal config that skips the build.

`.goreleaser.yml` — see [goreleaser-lib.yml](./assets/goreleaser-lib.yml)

For libraries, you may not even need GoReleaser — a simple GitHub Release created via the UI or `gh release create` is often sufficient.

### GoReleaser for Monorepos / Multi-Binary

When a repository contains multiple commands (e.g., `cmd/api/`, `cmd/worker/`).

`.goreleaser.yml` — see [goreleaser-monorepo.yml](./assets/goreleaser-monorepo.yml)

### Docker Build & Push

For projects that produce Docker images. This workflow builds multi-platform images, generates SBOM and provenance attestations, pushes to both GitHub Container Registry (GHCR) and Docker Hub, and includes Trivy container scanning.

`.github/workflows/docker.yml` — see [docker.yml](./assets/docker.yml)

> **Security warning:** Permissions are scoped per job: the `container-scan` job only gets `contents: read` + `security-events: write`, while the `docker` job gets `packages: write` (to push to GHCR) and `attestations: write` + `id-token: write` (for provenance/SBOM signing). This ensures the scan job cannot push images even if compromised. The `push` flag is set to `false` on pull requests so untrusted code cannot publish images. The `DOCKERHUB_USERNAME` and `DOCKERHUB_TOKEN` secrets must be configured in the repository secrets settings — never hardcode credentials.

Key details:

- **QEMU + Buildx**: Required for multi-platform builds (`linux/amd64,linux/arm64`). Remove platforms you don't need.
- **`push: false` on PRs**: Images are built but never pushed on pull requests — this validates the Dockerfile without publishing untrusted code.
- **Metadata action**: Automatically generates semver tags (`v1.2.3` → `1.2.3`, `1.2`, `1`), branch tags (`main`), and SHA tags.
- **Provenance + SBOM**: `provenance: mode=max` and `sbom: true` generate supply chain attestations. These require `attestations: write` and `id-token: write` permissions.
- **Dual registry**: Pushes to both GHCR (using `GITHUB_TOKEN`, no extra secret needed) and Docker Hub (requires `DOCKERHUB_USERNAME` + `DOCKERHUB_TOKEN` secrets). Remove the Docker Hub login and image line if not needed.
- **Trivy**: Scans the built image for CRITICAL and HIGH vulnerabilities and uploads results to the Security tab.
- Adapt the image names and registries to your project. For GHCR-only, remove the Docker Hub login step and the `docker.io/` line from `images:`.

---

## Repository Security Settings

Repository security settings (branch protection, workflow permissions, secrets, environments) form the security foundation for the CI pipeline — these are documented in [repo-security.md](./references/repo-security.md).

---

## AI-Driven Code Review

Add AI agents as PR reviewers alongside traditional static analysis. When loaded with this skill plugin, the agent applies the relevant Go skills per review area — catching architectural drift, logic bugs, missing error context, and concurrency hazards that linters cannot detect.

> **Cost note:** AI review agents run concurrently per PR. For cost control, remove jobs you don't need or raise the PR trigger filter to specific branches only.

Each subsection below is a generated artifact targeting one specific reviewer — the linked asset file runs on a CI runner, not the developer's local harness, so its tool names and permission flags are deliberately literal rather than capability prose.

### Claude Code

`.github/workflows/ai-review.yml` — see [claude-code-review.yml](./assets/claude-code-review.yml)

The workflow runs parallel jobs, each scoped to a set of review areas and priority level:

| Job | Areas | Priority |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `quality` | Code style, Naming, Documentation, Design patterns | Suggestion-first |
| `correctness` | Error handling, Code safety, Concurrency | Blocking-first |
| `security` | Security, Dependencies | Blocking-first |
| `quality-depth` | Tests, Performance, Observability, Modernize | Mixed |

Additional skills that may be relevant depending on the project: `golang-cli`, `golang-context`, `golang-data-structures`, `golang-database`, `golang-dependency-injection`, or any library-specific skill.

The Claude Code GitHub App integration is configured via the `/install-github-app` command, which sets up the required API secrets.

### GitHub Copilot

Copy skills into your repo, then append [copilot-review-instructions.md](./assets/copilot-review-instructions.md) to `.github/copilot-instructions.md`:

```bash
npx skills add https://github.com/samber/cc-skills-golang --agent github-copilot --skill '*' -y --copy
ln -s .agents .copilot
```

---

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
| --- | --- |
| Missing `-race` in CI tests | Always use `go test -race` |
| No `-shuffle=on` | Randomize test order to catch inter-test dependencies |
| Caching integration test results | Use `-count=1` to disable caching |
| `go mod tidy` not checked | Add `go mod tidy && git diff --exit-code` step |
| Missing `fail-fast: false` | One Go version failing shouldn't cancel other jobs |
| Not pinning action versions | GitHub Actions MUST use pinned major versions (e.g. `@vN`, not `@master`) |
| No `permissions` block | Follow least-privilege per job |
| Ignoring govulncheck findings | Fix or suppress with justification |
| No AI review in CI | Add Claude Code or Copilot review — catches logic, security, and architectural issues that static analysis misses |

## Related Skills

See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-lint`, `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-security`, `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-testing`, `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-dependency-management`, `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-modernize` skills.