Update Helm Image Tag in Values.yaml

Description

This GitHub Actions workflow updates the image tag in specified yaml files. It can create a pull request with the changes or commit them directly to the target branch. The workflow is designed to be reusable and can handle multiple files and keys.

Inputs

name	description	type	required	default
image_tag	The tag of the Docker image	string	true	""
image_tag_keys	Newline-separated list of keys to update (e.g., webapp.image.tag)	string	false	webapp.image_tag
values_files	Newline-separated list of file paths to update	string	true	""
create_pr	Create a pull request. If false, the changes will be committed directly to the target branch. Github Actions must have write permissions to the repository and able to bypass branch protection rules.	boolean	false	true
pr_message	Custom message for the pull request. Defaults to a standard message.	string	false	This PR updates the Helm values files to use the latest image tag.
auto_merge	Enable auto-merge for the pull request. Only works if create_pr is true.	boolean	false	false
branch_name_prefix	Prefix for the branch name.	string	false	helm-values
target_branch	The target branch for the pull request. Defaults the default branch of the repository.	string	false	${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}

Usage

jobs:
  job1:
    uses: dnd-it/github-workflows/.github/workflows/gitops-image-tag.yaml@v2
    with:
      image_tag:
      # The tag of the Docker image
      #
      # Type: string
      # Required: true
      # Default: ""

      image_tag_keys:
      # Newline-separated list of keys to update (e.g., webapp.image.tag)
      #
      # Type: string
      # Required: false
      # Default: webapp.image_tag

      values_files:
      # Newline-separated list of file paths to update
      #
      # Type: string
      # Required: true
      # Default: ""

      create_pr:
      # Create a pull request. If false, the changes will be committed directly to the target branch.
      # Github Actions must have write permissions to the repository and able to bypass branch protection rules.
      #
      # Type: boolean
      # Required: false
      # Default: true

      pr_message:
      # Custom message for the pull request. Defaults to a standard message.
      #
      # Type: string
      # Required: false
      # Default: This PR updates the Helm values files to use the latest image tag.

      auto_merge:
      # Enable auto-merge for the pull request. Only works if create_pr is true.
      #
      # Type: boolean
      # Required: false
      # Default: false

      branch_name_prefix:
      # Prefix for the branch name.
      #
      # Type: string
      # Required: false
      # Default: helm-values

      target_branch:
      # The target branch for the pull request. Defaults the default branch of the repository.
      #
      # Type: string
      # Required: false
      # Default: ${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}

Examples

Single File Update

name: Update Image Tag
on:
  workflow_run:
    workflows: ["Build and Push Docker Image"]
    types:
      - completed

permissions:
  contents: write
  pull-requests: write

jobs:
  update-image:
    uses: dnd-it/github-workflows/.github/workflows/gitops-image-tag.yaml@v3
    with:
      image_tag: ${{ github.sha }}
      values_files: deploy/app/values.yaml
      image_tag_keys: image_tag
      create_pr: true

Multiple Files Update

name: Update Image Tag in Multiple Environments
on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      image_tag:
        description: 'Docker image tag to deploy'
        required: true

permissions:
  contents: write
  pull-requests: write

jobs:
  update-all-environments:
    uses: dnd-it/github-workflows/.github/workflows/gitops-image-tag.yaml@v3
    with:
      image_tag: ${{ inputs.image_tag }}
      values_files: |
        deploy/dev/values.yaml
        deploy/staging/values.yaml
        deploy/prod/values.yaml
      image_tag_keys: "app.image.tag"
      create_pr: true

This creates a single PR that updates the image tag across all environment files, making it easy to promote a specific version across environments.

Multiple Keys Update

name: Update Multiple Image Tags
on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      image_tag:
        description: 'Docker image tag'
        required: true

permissions:
  contents: write
  pull-requests: write

jobs:
  update-multiple-keys:
    uses: dnd-it/github-workflows/.github/workflows/gitops-image-tag.yaml@v3
    with:
      image_tag: ${{ inputs.image_tag }}
      image_tag_keys: |
        webapp.image.tag
        worker.image.tag
        api.image.tag
      values_files: deploy/app/values.yaml
      create_pr: true

This updates multiple services that share the same Docker image.

Auto-merge Example

name: Deploy to Production
on:
  release:
    types: [published]

permissions:
  contents: write
  pull-requests: write

jobs:
  deploy:
    uses: dnd-it/github-workflows/.github/workflows/gitops-image-tag.yaml@v3
    with:
      image_tag: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
      values_files: |
        deploy/prod/values.yaml
        deploy/prod/secondary/values.yaml
      image_tag_keys: |
        app.image.tag
        worker.image.tag
      create_pr: true
      auto_merge: true
      pr_message: |
        Automated deployment of release ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }} to production.

        Release notes: ${{ github.event.release.html_url }}

This creates a PR that will automatically merge once all checks pass, providing an audit trail while enabling continuous deployment.

Key Features

Automatic PR Replacement

The workflow now generates consistent branch names based on the files being updated. This means: - If you update the same files again, the new PR will replace the old one - No more accumulating duplicate PRs for the same files - Branch names are based on a hash of the files being updated

Multiple Files Support

You can update multiple values files in a single workflow run: - Use the values_files input with newline-separated file paths - All files are updated in a single commit/PR

Multiple Keys Support

You can update multiple keys with the same image tag: - Use the image_tag_keys input with newline-separated key paths - Useful when multiple services share the same image

Enhanced PR Management

• Detailed PR descriptions showing all updated files
• Option to commit directly without creating a PR

FAQ

Q: How can I update multiple values files?

A: Use the values_files input with newline-separated file paths:

values_files: |
  file1.yaml
  file2.yaml
  file3.yaml

Q: Will this create multiple PRs if I run it multiple times?

A: No, the workflow uses consistent branch naming based on the files being updated. Running it again will update the existing PR.

Q: Can I update multiple keys with the same image tag?

A: Yes, use the image_tag_keys input with newline-separated key paths:

image_tag_keys: |
  frontend.image.tag
  backend.image.tag
  worker.image.tag

Q: What happens if a key doesn't exist in a file?

A: The workflow will skip that key and log a message. It only updates existing keys to prevent accidentally creating new structures.

Q: Is the values_files input required?

A: Yes, the values_files input is required. You must specify at least one file path to update.