What is GitHub Actions Matrix Strategy?
The GitHub Actions matrix strategy is a powerful feature that allows you to run the same job across multiple combinations of variables—like environments, operating systems, or software versions—without duplicating code. It's ideal for scenarios such as: Testing across different browser environments Running code against multiple versions of a language Deploying across multiple platforms (e.g., Android and iOS) By using a strategy.matrix section in your workflow, you can define all the variations you want to test or execute. GitHub will then automatically create a job for each combination. This not only helps keep workflows clean and scalable, but also provides a clear view of which combinations succeed or fail. For example: strategy: matrix: os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest] node: [16, 18] This configuration will run four jobs in parallel: Ubuntu + Node 16 Ubuntu + Node 18 Windows + Node 16 Windows + Node 18 Learn more in the official GitHub Docs Cross-Browser UI Testing with GitHub Actions Matrix Strategy When building UI automation workflows, one of the most common challenges is ensuring consistent functionality across different browsers. Initially, I handled this by creating separate GitHub Actions YAML files for each browser: ui_chrome_pytest.yml ui_firefox_pytest.yml Each file had almost identical steps, with only minor differences:
The GitHub Actions matrix strategy is a powerful feature that allows you to run the same job across multiple combinations of variables—like environments, operating systems, or software versions—without duplicating code. It's ideal for scenarios such as:
- Testing across different browser environments
- Running code against multiple versions of a language
- Deploying across multiple platforms (e.g., Android and iOS)
By using a strategy.matrix section in your workflow, you can define all the variations you want to test or execute. GitHub will then automatically create a job for each combination. This not only helps keep workflows clean and scalable, but also provides a clear view of which combinations succeed or fail.
For example:
strategy:
matrix:
os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
node: [16, 18]
This configuration will run four jobs in parallel:
- Ubuntu + Node 16
- Ubuntu + Node 18
- Windows + Node 16
- Windows + Node 18
Learn more in the official GitHub Docs
Cross-Browser UI Testing with GitHub Actions Matrix Strategy
When building UI automation workflows, one of the most common challenges is ensuring consistent functionality across different browsers. Initially, I handled this by creating separate GitHub Actions YAML files for each browser:
ui_chrome_pytest.ymlui_firefox_pytest.yml
Each file had almost identical steps, with only minor differences:
