Infrastructure
GitHub Actions
GitHub Actions CI/CD: every commit tested, every deploy automated, every release reversible.
GitHub Actions is the automation and CI/CD platform built into GitHub. It runs workflows on every push and pull request — type checks, unit and end-to-end tests, accessibility audits, performance budgets, security scans and the deploy itself — so quality gates are enforced by the pipeline rather than by memory. Because it lives next to the code, the same workflow files are versioned, reviewed and rolled back like any other part of the project.
- 01Quality gates run automatically on every pull request — type checks, tests, linting and accessibility audits block a merge before a human ever reviews it.
- 02Performance budgets fail the build before they fail your users, so Core Web Vitals regressions are caught in CI, not in production.
- 03One auditable pipeline from commit to production means every release is traceable, repeatable and reversible.
- 04Workflows live in the repository as code, so the whole delivery process is versioned, peer-reviewed and easy to change.
- 05It is free for public repos and generously priced for private ones, so robust CI/CD adds little to the run cost of a project.
GitHub Actions is the CI/CD engine behind how we ship software at Karve. Every change to a project we build in Dubai runs through it before it reaches production, turning web development work into releases that are tested, traceable and safe to roll back.
Why we run CI/CD on GitHub Actions
Quality gates on every pull request. Type checks, unit tests, end-to-end tests, linting and accessibility audits run automatically. If any of them fail, the change cannot merge — so problems are caught while they are cheap to fix.
Workflows as code. The pipeline lives in the repository alongside the application, so it is versioned, peer-reviewed and changed through the same process as any other code. There is no hidden build server only one person understands.
What runs in the pipeline
Checks on every change
- Tests and type safety: unit, integration and end-to-end suites plus TypeScript checks, run in parallel on every push.
- Accessibility and quality audits: automated checks that hold the bar high — the same discipline we describe in our approach to front-end testing at scale.
- Performance budgets: Lighthouse and bundle-size limits that fail the build if a change would slow the site, keeping Core Web Vitals green release after release.
- Security and dependency scans: automated checks for vulnerable packages and leaked secrets, so risks surface in review rather than after launch.
Build, deploy and release
Once the checks pass, the same pipeline builds and ships the release. For many projects it hands off to a platform such as Vercel for edge delivery and instant rollback, while GitHub Actions remains the single source of truth for what was tested, built and deployed.
In production
On builds like the Geely UAE ecommerce site, GitHub Actions runs the full gauntlet of tests, accessibility checks and performance budgets on every pull request — so the team in Dubai can ship continuously and keep releases calm, small and reversible.
What it does
Continuous integration
Tests, type checks and linting run automatically on every push and pull request, so broken code is blocked before it can merge.
Automated deployments
Build and ship on merge with repeatable, zero-touch deploys to staging and production — no manual steps to forget or get wrong.
Performance and accessibility budgets
Lighthouse, bundle-size and accessibility thresholds enforced in CI, so regressions fail the build instead of reaching real users.
Security and dependency scanning
Automated checks for vulnerable dependencies and leaked secrets keep supply-chain risk visible and addressed in review.
Pipeline as code
Workflows are versioned in the repository, peer-reviewed and reusable across projects, so the delivery process is transparent and easy to evolve.
About GitHub Actions
What does CI/CD actually do for a non-technical stakeholder?
CI/CD means every change is automatically tested and shipped in small, reversible steps instead of big risky releases. In practice you get fewer bugs reaching live, faster turnaround on changes, and the confidence that a problem can be rolled back in seconds rather than firefought overnight.
When should we use GitHub Actions versus another CI tool?
If your code already lives on GitHub, Actions is usually the simplest choice because the pipeline sits right next to the repository with nothing extra to host. Tools like GitLab CI, CircleCI or Jenkins are strong alternatives, and the right pick depends on where your code lives and your existing infrastructure — something we work through with you during a web development engagement.
How much does GitHub Actions cost?
GitHub Actions is free for public repositories and includes a monthly allowance of build minutes on paid GitHub plans, with extra usage billed per minute. For most web projects the CI/CD cost is a small fraction of overall hosting and engineering spend, and well-tuned workflows keep it that way by only running what each change needs.
How does it fit with where we deploy and host?
GitHub Actions handles the checks and the build, then hands the release to your hosting platform. It integrates cleanly with Vercel, AWS, Cloudflare and most other targets, so you keep one tested pipeline regardless of where the app ultimately runs.
Can you set this up on an existing project, and what does support look like?
Yes. We regularly add CI/CD to projects that started without it, introducing tests and quality gates incrementally so nothing breaks while the safety net goes up. Initial setup is typically days rather than weeks, and because the workflows are versioned in your repository, your own team can read, run and extend them — with our team on hand to support and tune the pipeline as the project grows.
Will CI/CD slow our team down?
The opposite, once it is in place. The initial investment is writing the tests and workflows, but after that the pipeline removes the slow, error-prone manual steps — checking, building and deploying by hand. Developers ship with confidence because the checks have their back, and stakeholders get changes faster because releases stop being a big, scary event.
Where GitHub Actions fits
Consultancy & Support
A senior digital consultancy and support partner in Dubai for roadmaps, platform decisions and SLA-backed support — before, during and long after launch.
The service