[GH-ISSUE #2874] INPUT_ environment variables shouldn't be present in composite Actions #1259

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opened 2026-03-01 21:49:59 +03:00 by kerem · 0 comments

kerem commented

2026-03-01 21:49:59 +03:00

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Originally created by @cedws on GitHub (May 22, 2025).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/nektos/act/issues/2874

Bug report info

act version:            0.2.77
GOOS:                   darwin
GOARCH:                 arm64
NumCPU:                 10
Docker host:            DOCKER_HOST environment variable is not set
Sockets found:
	/var/run/docker.sock
Config files:           
	/Users/development/Library/Application Support/act/actrc:
		-P ubuntu-latest=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest
		-P ubuntu-22.04=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-22.04
		-P ubuntu-20.04=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-20.04
		-P ubuntu-18.04=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-18.04
Build info:
	Go version:            go1.24.2
	Module path:           github.com/nektos/act
	Main version:          v0.2.78-0.20250504121323-324bab61f056
	Main path:             github.com/nektos/act
	Main checksum:         
	Build settings:
		-buildmode:           exe
		-compiler:            gc
		CGO_ENABLED:          1
		CGO_CFLAGS:           
		CGO_CPPFLAGS:         
		CGO_CXXFLAGS:         
		CGO_LDFLAGS:          
		GOARCH:               arm64
		GOOS:                 darwin
		GOARM64:              v8.0
		vcs:                  git
		vcs.revision:         324bab61f056e7e103b142b4c2f8b3b34421d764
		vcs.time:             2025-05-04T12:13:23Z
		vcs.modified:         false
Docker Engine:
	Engine version:        27.5.1
	Engine runtime:        runc
	Cgroup version:        2
	Cgroup driver:         cgroupfs
	Storage driver:        overlay2
	Registry URI:          https://index.docker.io/v1/
	OS:                    OrbStack
	OS type:               linux
	OS version:            
	OS arch:               aarch64
	OS kernel:             6.12.15-orbstack-00304-gd0ddcf70447d
	OS CPU:                10
	OS memory:             12008 MB
	Security options:
		name=seccomp,profile=builtin
		name=cgroupns

Command used with act

act -W test.yml

Describe issue

When a composite Action is ran, the inputs are available to steps as environment variables (INPUT_*)

As per the docs, this should not be the case - composite Actions are an exception and don't have these environment variables:

If the action is written using a composite, then it will not automatically get INPUT_<VARIABLE_NAME>. With composite actions you can use inputs Accessing contextual information about workflow runs to access action inputs.

https://docs.github.com/en/actions/sharing-automations/creating-actions/metadata-syntax-for-github-actions#example-specifying-inputs

Link to GitHub repository

No response

Workflow content

name: "Test"
description: "Test"

inputs:
  test:
    description: "Test"
    default: "test"

runs:
  using: "composite"
  steps:
    - name: Test
      shell: bash
      run: |
        env

Relevant log output

| INPUT_TEST=test

Additional information

No response

Originally created by @cedws on GitHub (May 22, 2025). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/nektos/act/issues/2874 ### Bug report info ```plain text act version: 0.2.77 GOOS: darwin GOARCH: arm64 NumCPU: 10 Docker host: DOCKER_HOST environment variable is not set Sockets found: /var/run/docker.sock Config files: /Users/development/Library/Application Support/act/actrc: -P ubuntu-latest=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest -P ubuntu-22.04=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-22.04 -P ubuntu-20.04=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-20.04 -P ubuntu-18.04=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-18.04 Build info: Go version: go1.24.2 Module path: github.com/nektos/act Main version: v0.2.78-0.20250504121323-324bab61f056 Main path: github.com/nektos/act Main checksum: Build settings: -buildmode: exe -compiler: gc CGO_ENABLED: 1 CGO_CFLAGS: CGO_CPPFLAGS: CGO_CXXFLAGS: CGO_LDFLAGS: GOARCH: arm64 GOOS: darwin GOARM64: v8.0 vcs: git vcs.revision: 324bab61f056e7e103b142b4c2f8b3b34421d764 vcs.time: 2025-05-04T12:13:23Z vcs.modified: false Docker Engine: Engine version: 27.5.1 Engine runtime: runc Cgroup version: 2 Cgroup driver: cgroupfs Storage driver: overlay2 Registry URI: https://index.docker.io/v1/ OS: OrbStack OS type: linux OS version: OS arch: aarch64 OS kernel: 6.12.15-orbstack-00304-gd0ddcf70447d OS CPU: 10 OS memory: 12008 MB Security options: name=seccomp,profile=builtin name=cgroupns ``` ### Command used with act ```sh act -W test.yml ``` ### Describe issue When a composite Action is ran, the inputs are available to steps as environment variables (`INPUT_*`) As per the docs, this should not be the case - composite Actions are an exception and don't have these environment variables: >If the action is written using a [composite](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/creating-actions/creating-a-composite-action), then it will not automatically get INPUT_<VARIABLE_NAME>. With composite actions you can use inputs [Accessing contextual information about workflow runs](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/contexts) to access action inputs. https://docs.github.com/en/actions/sharing-automations/creating-actions/metadata-syntax-for-github-actions#example-specifying-inputs ### Link to GitHub repository _No response_ ### Workflow content ```yml name: "Test" description: "Test" inputs: test: description: "Test" default: "test" runs: using: "composite" steps: - name: Test shell: bash run: | env ``` ### Relevant log output ```sh | INPUT_TEST=test ``` ### Additional information _No response_

kerem added the

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2026-03-01 21:49:59 +03:00

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Reference

starred/act#1259

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