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GitHub

--backend github talks to api.github.com — --base-url is never needed.

Token

In a GitHub Actions workflow, the default secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN is sufficient — grant the job permissions: contents: write and pass it straight through:

permissions:
  contents: write

steps:
  - uses: brpaz/draftsman@v1
    with:
      command: draft
      backend: github
      token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

Outside Actions (local runs, other CI systems), use a Personal Access Token:

  • Fine-grained PAT: Contents → Read and write (draft/publish), plus Pull requests → Read if you want PR-reference enrichment on preview.
  • Classic PAT: repo scope.

PR-reference enrichment

GitHub is the only backend with a live API fallback: when a commit's message doesn't contain an extractable PR reference (e.g. a rebase-merge or direct-push commit), draftsman calls commits/{sha}/pulls to resolve it. This only runs when --backend/--token/--repo are all supplied — preview works fine without them, just without this enrichment step. See ADR-0001.

GitHub Action

The composite Action at action.yml wraps the CLI — it downloads the matching prebuilt binary for the runner's OS/arch from the Action's own tagged release, verifies it against checksums.txt, and runs it. No separate install step needed.

Input Required Notes
command yes draft, preview, or publish.
backend for draft/publish github, gitea, or forgejo.
token for draft/publish Backend API token.
config-path no Defaults to draftsman's own resolution (.draftsman.yml, or built-ins).
package no Multi mode only.
version no publish only — overrides the computed suggestion.

--repo needs no input at all — the Action relies on GITHUB_REPOSITORY, which every GitHub Actions runner sets automatically.

Continuous draft on every push:

name: Update draft release

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

permissions:
  contents: write

jobs:
  draft:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0 # full history — draftsman walks commits since the last tag
      - uses: brpaz/draftsman@v1
        with:
          command: draft
          backend: github
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

Publish on demand:

name: Publish release

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      version:
        description: "Override the auto-computed version (optional)"
        required: false

permissions:
  contents: write

jobs:
  publish:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - uses: brpaz/draftsman@v1
        with:
          command: publish
          backend: github
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          version: ${{ inputs.version }}

Without the Action (Docker)

jobs:
  draft:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    container: ghcr.io/brpaz/draftsman:latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - run: draftsman draft --backend github --token "$DRAFTSMAN_TOKEN" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY"
        env:
          DRAFTSMAN_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}