Where the minutes go (30d)
Waste detected
Biggest wins first, each with the exact config fix.
No job timeout · PR Checks
No job sets `timeout-minutes`, so a hung step can run to GitHub's 6-hour default. Add `timeout-minutes` to each job.
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
timeout-minutes: 15No job timeout · CI
No job sets `timeout-minutes`, so a hung step can run to GitHub's 6-hour default. Add `timeout-minutes` to each job.
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
timeout-minutes: 15Large build matrix · CI
The matrix expands to many parallel jobs per run, multiplying billable minutes, often more combos than you need. Trim the axes, or use `include:` to list only the combinations that matter.
strategy:
fail-fast: true
matrix:
include:
- { os: ubuntu-latest, node: 20 }
- { os: ubuntu-latest, node: 22 }Premium runners (macOS / Windows) · CI
macOS bills ~10x and Windows ~2x a Linux minute. The cost estimate above assumes Linux, so your real spend is higher. Move any job that doesn't need them to `ubuntu-latest`.
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest # ~10x cheaper than macos-latestNo concurrency control · Close stale issues
Add a `concurrency:` block keyed on branch to cancel superseded runs when devs push twice quickly.
concurrency:
group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
cancel-in-progress: trueNo job timeout · Close stale issues
No job sets `timeout-minutes`, so a hung step can run to GitHub's 6-hour default. Add `timeout-minutes` to each job.
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
timeout-minutes: 15Scheduled at the top of the hour · Close stale issues
The schedule fires at minute :00, GitHub's peak window, where scheduled runs get delayed or skipped. Shift to any other minute for the same cadence with less contention.
on:
schedule:
- cron: '56 3 * * *' # was '0 3 * * *' — any non-:00 minute avoids the herdScheduled workflow runs in forks · Close stale issues
The schedule has no repository guard, so forks that enable Actions inherit the cron and burn their own minutes. Gate the job with `if: github.repository == 'owner/repo'`.
jobs:
nightly:
if: github.repository == 'owner/repo'
runs-on: ubuntu-latestNo job timeout · Octoslash
No job sets `timeout-minutes`, so a hung step can run to GitHub's 6-hour default. Add `timeout-minutes` to each job.
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
timeout-minutes: 15Copy every fix as one block (6 snippets, annotated per workflow)
# No job timeout (applies to: PR Checks, CI, Close stale issues, Octoslash)
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
timeout-minutes: 15
# Large build matrix (applies to: CI)
strategy:
fail-fast: true
matrix:
include:
- { os: ubuntu-latest, node: 20 }
- { os: ubuntu-latest, node: 22 }
# Premium runners (macOS / Windows) (applies to: CI)
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest # ~10x cheaper than macos-latest
# No concurrency control (applies to: Close stale issues)
concurrency:
group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
cancel-in-progress: true
# Scheduled at the top of the hour (applies to: Close stale issues)
on:
schedule:
- cron: '56 3 * * *' # was '0 3 * * *' — any non-:00 minute avoids the herd
# Scheduled workflow runs in forks (applies to: Close stale issues)
jobs:
nightly:
if: github.repository == 'owner/repo'
runs-on: ubuntu-latestEach snippet is representative. Merge into the named workflow files rather than pasting wholesale.
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