Understanding and Resolving GitHub Actions Access Issues for Automated JSON Updates in WordPress Development

In the realm of modern web development, automation tools like GitHub Actions are invaluable for streamlining updates and maintaining dynamic content. However, even experienced developers encounter hurdles—particularly when automating file modifications and commits. Recently, a developer working on a WordPress-related project faced such a challenge: their GitHub Actions workflow would successfully scrape data and generate JSON files but consistently faltered at the commit stage, citing access denial errors.

The Scenario: Automating Data Collection and Inclusion in WordPress

The developer’s goal was to create an automated system that pulls data from an external calendar, stores this information in a JSON file, and then displays it on a WordPress site. Due to resource constraints, they opted to use GitHub Actions for automation. The workflow was set to:

1. Scrape calendar data regularly
2. Save the information in a JSON format
3. Commit and push updates to the GitHub repository
4. Use the JSON data within the WordPress site for display

While the scraping and data handling parts executed flawlessly, the process stalled at the commit phase, returning permission-related errors.

Common Pitfalls and Troubleshooting Steps

This issue typically stems from insufficient permissions assigned to the GitHub token used by the Actions workflow. Here are key points and recommended solutions:

1. Token Permissions:
   Ensure that the GITHUB_TOKEN or personal access token (PAT) employed in the workflow has the necessary scope. For repository modifications, the token must have write permissions for code.

2. Token Usage:
   By default, GITHUB_TOKEN provided in workflows is scoped to the repository but may have limited permissions if privacy or policy settings restrict access. Verify its permissions in repository settings under “Actions” -> “Workflow permissions.”

3. Checkout and Commit Configuration:
   Properly configure git within the workflow, setting user name and email, and authenticating using the token. An example:

yaml
- name: Set up Git
run: |
git config --global user.name "GitHub Actions Bot"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
git remote set-url origin https://x-access-token:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}@github.com/username/repository.git

1. Repository Secrets:
   If using a personal access token