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A scheduled GitHub Actions workflow is not guaranteed to start at its exact cron minute. GitHub says high Actions load can delay scheduled events, especially at the start of an hour, and some queued jobs may be dropped when load is sufficiently high. If no run appears, check the workflow’s default-branch location and enabled state, then verify the cron expression and timezone.

First determine whether GitHub created a run

Open the repository’s Actions tab and inspect the workflow’s run history. A run that appears but fails or is cancelled did trigger; investigate the job’s execution or cancellation rather than treating it as a missed schedule. If no run was created, work through the scheduling checks below. GitHub’s trigger troubleshooting also recommends checking whether the workflow is disabled and reviewing its on: configuration.

The available evidence cannot identify a specific repository’s cause without its workflow file and run history. These checks distinguish a delayed trigger from a configuration or workflow-state problem.

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Could Actions load have delayed or dropped the run?

GitHub documents that the schedule event can be delayed during periods of high workflow-run load. The start of every hour is a particularly busy time; if load is high enough, some queued jobs may be dropped. This is platform behavior, not proof that a cron expression is wrong. GitHub does not promise that a scheduled workflow will begin at its exact scheduled minute.

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GitHub’s mitigation is to choose a different minute within the hour. For example, scheduling at minute 17 or 43 avoids the top-of-hour minute. These are examples, not guaranteed punctual run times. See GitHub’s schedule event documentation and its workflow troubleshooting guidance.

Is the workflow file on the default branch?

A scheduled workflow only triggers when its workflow file exists on the repository’s default branch. Schedule runs execute on that branch, using its latest commit; a workflow file present only on a feature branch will not run on a schedule.

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  • Confirm the workflow YAML file is committed to the current default branch.
  • If the repository’s default branch changed, check that the file exists on the newly selected default branch.
  • When editing the schedule, make sure the updated version reaches the default branch; a change confined to another branch does not control scheduled runs.

GitHub documents these requirements in Events that trigger workflows.

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Is the workflow enabled?

In the repository’s Actions area, open the workflow and check its state. A disabled workflow will not run on its schedule. GitHub supports enabling and disabling workflows in the UI, through the REST API, and with GitHub CLI commands such as gh workflow disable and gh workflow enable. Instructions are in GitHub’s workflow enable/disable documentation.

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GitHub also automatically disables scheduled workflows in certain public repositories:

  • Scheduled workflows in public forks are disabled by default.
  • In a public repository with no activity for 60 days, GitHub automatically disables scheduled workflows.

The 60-day inactivity rule is specific to public repositories; do not assume it applies to private repositories.

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Does the cron expression and timezone match your intent?

GitHub uses five-field POSIX cron syntax for schedules. Schedules use UTC unless the workflow specifies an IANA timezone. The minimum supported interval is once every five minutes. GitHub does not support the non-standard shortcuts @yearly, @monthly, @weekly, @daily, @hourly, or @reboot.

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Check the on: section in the workflow file and verify both the expression and the timezone assumption. A cron expression interpreted in UTC may correspond to a different local time than expected. If the schedule specifies an IANA timezone that observes daylight saving time, a scheduled time in the hour skipped during the spring-forward transition advances to the next valid time. Consult GitHub’s schedule syntax and timezone guidance when validating the expression.

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A practical diagnosis order

  1. Check the Actions run history. If a run exists, troubleshoot its failure or cancellation. If none exists, continue.
  2. Check workflow state. Re-enable it if it is disabled, and account for GitHub’s public-fork and public-repository inactivity rules.
  3. Check the default branch. Verify the workflow file and current schedule are committed to that branch.
  4. Validate the schedule. Confirm five-field POSIX cron syntax, the intended UTC or IANA timezone, and an interval of at least five minutes.
  5. Allow for platform load. If the expression is correct and the workflow is enabled, move the scheduled minute away from the start of the hour to reduce exposure to peak load; this cannot guarantee an exact start time.

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