---
title: "Claude Code Base Action"
description: "This GitHub Action allows you to run [Claude Code](https://www.anthropic.com/claude-code) within your GitHub Actions workflows. You can use this to build any custom workflow on top of Claude Code."
type: skill
canonical_url: https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/readme-116
source: "Claudary"
difficulty: intermediate
author: "Claude Code Knowledge Pack"
date: 2026-07-10T11:36:07.671Z
license: CC-BY-4.0
attribution: "Claude Code Base Action — Claudary (https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/readme-116)"
---

# Claude Code Base Action
This GitHub Action allows you to run [Claude Code](https://www.anthropic.com/claude-code) within your GitHub Actions workflows. You can use this to build any custom workflow on top of Claude Code.

## Overview

# Claude Code Base Action

This GitHub Action allows you to run [Claude Code](https://www.anthropic.com/claude-code) within your GitHub Actions workflows. You can use this to build any custom workflow on top of Claude Code.

For simply tagging @claude in issues and PRs out of the box, [check out the Claude Code action and GitHub app](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code-action).

## Usage

Add the following to your workflow file:

```yaml
# Using a direct prompt
- name: Run Claude Code with direct prompt
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Your prompt here"
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}

# Or using a prompt from a file
- name: Run Claude Code with prompt file
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt_file: "/path/to/prompt.txt"
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}

# Or limiting the conversation turns
- name: Run Claude Code with limited turns
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Your prompt here"
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    max_turns: "5" # Limit conversation to 5 turns
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}

# Using custom system prompts
- name: Run Claude Code with custom system prompt
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Build a REST API"
    system_prompt: "You are a senior backend engineer. Focus on security, performance, and maintainability."
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}

# Or appending to the default system prompt
- name: Run Claude Code with appended system prompt
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Create a database schema"
    append_system_prompt: "After writing code, be sure to code review yourself."
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}

# Using custom environment variables
- name: Run Claude Code with custom environment variables
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Deploy to staging environment"
    claude_env: |
      ENVIRONMENT: staging
      API_URL: https://api-staging.example.com
      DEBUG: true
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}

# Using fallback model for handling API errors
- name: Run Claude Code with fallback model
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Review and fix TypeScript errors"
    model: "claude-opus-4-1-20250805"
    fallback_model: "claude-sonnet-4-20250514"
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}

# Using OAuth token instead of API key
- name: Run Claude Code with OAuth token
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Update dependencies"
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    claude_code_oauth_token: ${{ secrets.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN }}
```

## Inputs

| Input                     | Description                                                                                                             | Required | Default                      |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- | ---------------------------- |
| `prompt`                  | The prompt to send to Claude Code                                                                                       | No\\*     | ''                           |
| `prompt_file`             | Path to a file containing the prompt to send to Claude Code                                                             | No\\*     | ''                           |
| `allowed_tools`           | Comma-separated list of allowed tools for Claude Code to use                                                            | No       | ''                           |
| `disallowed_tools`        | Comma-separated list of disallowed tools that Claude Code cannot use                                                    | No       | ''                           |
| `max_turns`               | Maximum number of conversation turns (default: no limit)                                                                | No       | ''                           |
| `mcp_config`              | Path to the MCP configuration JSON file, or MCP configuration JSON string                                               | No       | ''                           |
| `settings`                | Path to Claude Code settings JSON file, or settings JSON string                                                         | No       | ''                           |
| `system_prompt`           | Override system prompt                                                                                                  | No       | ''                           |
| `append_system_prompt`    | Append to system prompt                                                                                                 | No       | ''                           |
| `claude_env`              | Custom environment variables to pass to Claude Code execution (YAML multiline format)                                   | No       | ''                           |
| `model`                   | Model to use (provider-specific format required for Bedrock/Vertex)                                                     | No       | 'claude-4-0-sonnet-20250219' |
| `anthropic_model`         | DEPRECATED: Use 'model' instead                                                                                         | No       | 'claude-4-0-sonnet-20250219' |
| `fallback_model`          | Enable automatic fallback to specified model when default model is overloaded                                           | No       | ''                           |
| `anthropic_api_key`       | Anthropic API key (required for direct Anthropic API)                                                                   | No       | ''                           |
| `claude_code_oauth_token` | Claude Code OAuth token (alternative to anthropic_api_key)                                                              | No       | ''                           |
| `use_bedrock`             | Use Amazon Bedrock with OIDC authentication instead of direct Anthropic API                                             | No       | 'false'                      |
| `use_vertex`              | Use Google Vertex AI with OIDC authentication instead of direct Anthropic API                                           | No       | 'false'                      |
| `use_node_cache`          | Whether to use Node.js dependency caching (set to true only for Node.js projects with lock files)                       | No       | 'false'                      |
| `show_full_output`        | Show full JSON output (⚠️ May expose secrets - see [security docs](../docs/security.md#️-full-output-security-warning)) | No       | 'false'\\*\\*                  |

\\*Either `prompt` or `prompt_file` must be provided, but not both.

\\*\\*`show_full_output` is automatically enabled when GitHub Actions debug mode is active. See [security documentation](../docs/security.md#️-full-output-security-warning) for important security considerations.

## Outputs

| Output           | Description                                                |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| `conclusion`     | Execution status of Claude Code ('success' or 'failure')   |
| `execution_file` | Path to the JSON file containing Claude Code execution log |

## Environment Variables

The following environment variables can be used to configure the action:

| Variable       | Description                                           | Default |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `NODE_VERSION` | Node.js version to use (e.g., '18.x', '20.x', '22.x') | '18.x'  |

Example usage:

```yaml
- name: Run Claude Code with Node.js 20
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  env:
    NODE_VERSION: "20.x"
  with:
    prompt: "Your prompt here"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
```

## Custom Environment Variables

You can pass custom environment variables to Claude Code execution using the `claude_env` input. This allows Claude to access environment-specific configuration during its execution.

The `claude_env` input accepts YAML multiline format with key-value pairs:

```yaml
- name: Deploy with custom environment
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Deploy the application to the staging environment"
    claude_env: |
      ENVIRONMENT: staging
      API_BASE_URL: https://api-staging.example.com
      DATABASE_URL: ${{ secrets.STAGING_DB_URL }}
      DEBUG: true
      LOG_LEVEL: debug
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
```

### Features:

- **YAML Format**: Use standard YAML key-value syntax (`KEY: value`)
- **Multiline Support**: Define multiple environment variables in a single input
- **Comments**: Lines starting with `#` are ignored
- **GitHub Secrets**: Can reference GitHub secrets using `${{ secrets.SECRET_NAME }}`
- **Runtime Access**: Environment variables are available to Claude during execution

### Example Use Cases:

```yaml
# Development configuration
claude_env: |
  NODE_ENV: development
  API_URL: http://localhost:3000
  DEBUG: true

# Production deployment
claude_env: |
  NODE_ENV: production
  API_URL: https://api.example.com
  DATABASE_URL: ${{ secrets.PROD_DB_URL }}
  REDIS_URL: ${{ secrets.REDIS_URL }}

# Feature flags and configuration
claude_env: |
  FEATURE_NEW_UI: enabled
  MAX_RETRIES: 3
  TIMEOUT_MS: 5000
```

## Using Settings Configuration

You can provide Claude Code settings configuration in two ways:

### Option 1: Settings Configuration File

Provide a path to a JSON file containing Claude Code settings:

```yaml
- name: Run Claude Code with settings file
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Your prompt here"
    settings: "path/to/settings.json"
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
```

### Option 2: Inline Settings Configuration

Provide the settings configuration directly as a JSON string:

```yaml
- name: Run Claude Code with inline settings
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Your prompt here"
    settings: |
      {
        "model": "claude-opus-4-1-20250805",
        "env": {
          "DEBUG": "true",
          "API_URL": "https://api.example.com"
        },
        "permissions": {
          "allow": ["Bash", "Read"],
          "deny": ["WebFetch"]
        },
        "hooks": {
          "PreToolUse": [{
            "matcher": "Bash",
            "hooks": [{
              "type": "command",
              "command": "echo Running bash command..."
            }]
          }]
        }
      }
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
```

The settings file supports all Claude Code settings options including:

- `model`: Override the default model
- `env`: Environment variables for the session
- `permissions`: Tool usage permissions
- `hooks`: Pre/post tool execution hooks
- `includeCoAuthoredBy`: Include co-authored-by in git commits
- And more...

**Note**: The `enableAllProjectMcpServers` setting is always set to `true` by this action to ensure MCP servers work correctly.

## Using MCP Config

You can provide MCP configuration in two ways:

### Option 1: MCP Configuration File

Provide a path to a JSON file containing MCP configuration:

```yaml
- name: Run Claude Code with MCP config file
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Your prompt here"
    mcp_config: "path/to/mcp-config.json"
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
```

### Option 2: Inline MCP Configuration

Provide the MCP configuration directly as a JSON string:

```yaml
- name: Run Claude Code with inline MCP config
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Your prompt here"
    mcp_config: |
      {
        "mcpServers": {
          "server-name": {
            "command": "node",
            "args": ["./server.js"],
            "env": {
              "API_KEY": "your-api-key"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,BatchTool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
```

The MCP config file should follow this format:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server-name": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["./server.js"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

You can combine MCP config with other inputs like allowed tools:

```yaml
# Using multiple inputs together
- name: Run Claude Code with MCP and custom tools
  uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
  with:
    prompt: "Access the custom MCP server and use its tools"
    mcp_config: "mcp-config.json"
    allowed_tools: "Bash(git:*),View,mcp__server-name__custom_tool"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
```

## Example: PR Code Review

```yaml
name: Claude Code Review

on:
  pull_request:
    types: [opened, synchronize]

jobs:
  code-review:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v6
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0

      - name: Run Code Review with Claude
        id: code-review
        uses: anthropics/claude-code-base-action@beta
        with:
          prompt: "Review the PR changes. Focus on code quality, potential bugs, and performance issues. Suggest improvements where appropriate. Write your review as markdown text."
          allowed_tools: "Bash(git diff --name-only HEAD~1),Bash(git diff HEAD~1),View,GlobTool,GrepTool,Write"
          anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}

      - name: Extract and Comment PR Review
        if: steps.code-review.outputs.conclusion == 'success'
        uses: actions/github-script@v7
        with:
          github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          script: |
            const fs = require('fs');
            const executionFile = '${{ steps.code-review.outputs.execution_file }}';
            const executionLog = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(executionFile, 'utf8')

---

Source: [Claudary](https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/readme-116) · https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com