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To know that a release passed its checks, test and publish the exact artifact intended for release—not a fresh rebuild from the same source. Bind the test results and release decision to that artifact’s cryptographic digest. If you rebuild or replace it, treat the result as a new candidate and qualify it separately unless you demonstrate and record equivalence.
What a passing test actually tells you
A green check is evidence about the artifact a particular test execution consumed, in the context in which it ran. It does not automatically apply to another platform package, a later rebuild, or a container image behind a mutable tag. The distinction matters because identical source code does not, by itself, prove that two build outputs contain identical bytes.
Artifact identity and test evidence are related but separate. A cryptographic digest identifies a set of bytes; it does not show that those bytes are safe or that the checks were sufficient. Record which artifact was tested and the outcome of each relevant check against that identity.
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Make it possible to distinguish the output under test from every other candidate. A useful record includes:
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- Source commit
- Workflow run and build environment
- Output filename and target platform
- Cryptographic digest of the output
For container releases, identify the image by digest rather than relying only on a friendly tag that may later point to different content. The tag can remain useful for people and tools, but the digest is the identity to bind to test results and publication.
Build once, then pass the output through the release path
- Identify the candidate. Record the source commit, intended platform or package, and release path before qualification.
- Build the candidate. Produce the output for that path and retain the resulting file or image along with its digest.
- Transfer that output to later jobs. Have test, scan, packaging, and publishing jobs consume the retained artifact instead of silently rebuilding it. GitHub Actions workflow artifacts are one way to persist outputs after a job ends and share them between jobs; GitHub documents their use for binaries as well as logs and test results (GitHub Actions workflow artifacts).
- Run checks against the retained candidate. Record each result against the same digest so the evidence identifies what the check consumed.
- Publish the qualified identity. Configure required checks to block publication when they fail or are missing. If any rebuild or replacement occurs, assign it a new candidate identity and qualify it separately.
What artifact transfer checks do—and do not—prove
GitHub’s documented upload and download artifact flow checks the downloaded artifact’s SHA-256 digest against the upload output and warns if they differ (GitHub’s artifact transfer and digest validation tutorial). That check helps detect a change during transfer. It does not establish that the build was correct, that the artifact is trustworthy, or that the tests were adequate. Those questions require their own build controls and test evidence.
Use provenance to connect bytes to their build context
Where supported, add a provenance attestation that names the artifact digest and describes its build context. GitHub documents signed claims that can include repository, environment, commit SHA, and triggering event (GitHub artifact attestations). For a Docker image, GitHub’s publishing example shows an attestation associated with the image digest (GitHub’s Docker image publishing guide).
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11An attestation can connect an identified artifact to a source and workflow; it does not replace tests or prove that the workflow’s checks meet your release policy. Keep the attestation, test results, and publication decision tied to the same subject digest.
Apply the rule separately to every output
One release can produce several artifacts: a container image, a desktop installer, or packages for different platforms. Evidence for one output does not qualify the others. Track checks and publication outcomes separately for each artifact and release surface, and make sure the required checks cover every output you intend to ship.
As an example of why this separation matters, qnbs’s October 1, 2026 DEV Community article reports differing CI/security, Tauri, and Docker outcomes for WorldScript Studio’s v1.29.0 tag, then describes qualifying a later candidate (the article). Those are the author’s reported project-specific details, not independently confirmed release records.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a workflow that preserves evidence
When reviewing a release pipeline, check whether it preserves the candidate’s identity from build to publication:
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- Identity: Does the pipeline rely on a mutable tag alone, or record an immutable digest?
- Handoff: Do downstream jobs receive the original output, or build again?
- Provenance: Can the artifact be connected to its source and build workflow?
- Coverage: Are checks recorded separately for each platform and output?
- Release gate: Do the required checks block publication when they have not passed?
Artifact retention, transfer-digest validation, and attestations are documented capabilities in GitHub Actions. Which checks are mandatory and whether they gate publication depend on how a team configures its own workflow and policy.
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