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A GitHub Actions cache hit on the exact primary key means reuse, not refresh. If the key stays the same, the cache action restores the existing entry and skips saving changed contents under that key. To keep dependency caches aligned with your project, derive the primary key from the lockfile and relevant compatibility inputs, then let the package manager reconcile any older cache restored by a prefix.
Why a cache hit does not update the cache
GitHub cache entries are immutable: GitHub says, “You cannot change the contents of an existing cache.” When the restored cache key exactly matches the run’s primary key, the action does not replace that entry with the current contents of the cached path. The save implementation reports: “Cache hit occurred on the primary key [key], not saving cache.” The placeholder represents the concrete key shown in a workflow log. See GitHub’s dependency caching documentation and the official save implementation.
This is expected behavior when the key still describes compatible data. It becomes a stale-dependency problem when the key fails to change after an input such as a lockfile changes. A static key can therefore keep restoring an older dependency cache indefinitely, while the action has no reason to save a replacement under that same key.
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Build the primary key from the inputs that determine whether cached data is reusable. For dependencies, that usually includes a hash of the relevant lockfile; include the operating system or other compatibility dimensions when they matter to the cached path. GitHub’s documentation recommends keys based on changing inputs such as a lockfile hash.
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- uses: actions/cache@v4
id: deps
with:
path: <package-manager cache or dependency directory>
key: ${{ runner.os }}-deps-${{ hashFiles('<lockfile glob>') }}
restore-keys: |
${{ runner.os }}-deps-This is a pattern, not a universal copy-and-paste workflow. Set path and the lockfile glob to match the project and package manager. GitHub documents setup actions that can manage caching for common ecosystems, including Node, Python, Java, Ruby, Go, and .NET; check whether the relevant setup action already handles caching before adding a separate cache step. Details are in GitHub’s dependency caching reference and the actions/cache README.
What the restore-key fallback does
A restore-key prefix can match an older cache when the lockfile-derived primary key has changed. That is a partial restore, not proof that the cache exactly matches the current dependency inputs. Run the package manager against the current lockfile so it can install, update, or otherwise reconcile dependencies. If the job then completes successfully, the action can save the resulting path under the new primary key.
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Diagnose a cache that seems stale or will not save
- Read the restore and post-job logs. Look for the exact-primary-key message, “Cache hit occurred on the primary key [key], not saving cache.” That confirms the action found the same primary key and skipped saving because the entry already exists. It does not by itself show that the cached data is incorrect.
- Compare the resolved primary key across runs. Check that it changes when the lockfile used by the install step changes. A static key will not track dependency changes. Also check that a
hashFiles()glob matches the intended lockfile; a glob that resolves to no relevant file cannot represent changes to that file. GitHub’s examples show lockfile contents changing the generated key: documentation and README. - Check the cache-hit result. In the official action documentation,
cache-hitistruefor an exact primary-key match andfalsefor a restore-key match. Do not skip dependency installation just because some cache was restored. See the actions/cache README. - If the primary key missed, check whether the job could save. Automatic cache creation after a miss depends on successful job completion. Some low-trust workflows have read-only access to the default-branch cache scope; GitHub documents a warning in such cases while the job continues. Use a trusted workflow to maintain a cache where appropriate, rather than weakening permissions without considering who can influence the workflow and its contents. See GitHub’s documentation.
- Check branch scope and cache version. Lookup depends on the key, version, and branch scope. Version metadata includes the cached paths and compression tooling, and sibling branches do not generally share caches. Pull-request caches are scoped to merge refs and are not generally reusable by the base branch or other pull requests. GitHub documents the applicable branch rules in its dependency caching reference and action README.
- Check retention and repository storage. GitHub’s documentation, accessed October 7, 2026, says entries not accessed for more than seven days are removed. It also gives a default total storage limit of 10 GB per repository; administrators may configure higher limits, and when the limit is reached GitHub evicts entries by least recent access. See GitHub’s current documentation.
Choose a cache key and fallback deliberately
| Strategy | What it does | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static key, exact match only | Reuses the same entry whenever that key is found; an exact hit does not refresh it. | Only when the cached contents remain valid for everything represented by the key. | Changes not reflected in the key can leave the workflow restoring outdated contents. |
| Lockfile-derived key, exact match only | Creates a different primary key when the lockfile hash changes. | When only an exact match is useful and a miss is acceptable. | A changed lockfile will not use an older entry as a starting point. |
| Lockfile-derived key plus prefix fallback | Uses an exact cache when available; otherwise may restore a recent cache with the matching prefix. | When the package manager can safely reconcile an older cache against the current lockfile. | A partial restore is not an exact dependency match; the install or reconciliation step must still run. |
Whichever strategy you choose, include the operating system, toolchain, or other compatibility dimensions when those affect the cached data. Cache identity also depends on the saved paths and compression tooling through the cache version, while branch scope controls visibility; a well-designed key cannot make an out-of-scope or incompatible cache available.
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Keep cache contents safe across workflow trust boundaries
Do not cache credentials, tokens, or other secrets. GitHub warns that users able to open pull requests may be able to access cache contents, and that restoring untrusted cache contents can create code-execution risks when workflows use them. Cache writes from low-trust triggers are restricted in relevant scopes by default. Keep cache-writing workflows within an appropriate trust boundary instead of granting broader write access merely to make a save succeed. See GitHub’s dependency caching security and scope guidance.
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What the 23-day stale-CI report establishes
In a 2026 article, author jidonglab reports a cache that was stale for 23 days, an install-time change from 38 seconds to 2 minutes 51 seconds, and a later 36-second run. Those are the author’s case-study figures, not independently verified measurements or a GitHub-wide benchmark. The incident illustrates how a key that does not change can perpetuate reuse; it does not mean every exact cache hit is stale. An exact hit is appropriate when the cached data remains valid for the inputs represented by that key. Read the author’s report.
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