Bug Report: Duplicate Workflow Directories Created When Actions Tab Can't Detect Existing Workflows

[Ni-Sun]

Why are you starting this discussion?

Bug

What GitHub Actions topic or product is this about?

Workflow Configuration

Discussion Details

Bug Report: Duplicate Workflow Directories Created When Actions Tab Can't Detect Existing Workflows

Summary

When creating a workflow file manually in a profile repository, GitHub Actions UI fails to detect it and allows creating a duplicate workflow through the Actions tab interface, resulting in two identically named directories in .github/workflows.

Environment

• Repository Type: Profile repository (Ni-Sun/Ni-Sun)
• Repository Creation: 2025-11-11
• Default Branch: main
• Current Date: 2025-11-11 14:02:21 UTC

Issue Description

I encountered a strange bug in my profile repository Ni-Sun/Ni-Sun where:

1. I manually created .github/workflows/main.yml with a valid workflow
2. Navigated to the Actions tab - no workflows were visible
3. Used the "New workflow" button in Actions tab to create another workflow
4. Named it .github/workflows/main.yml (same path)
5. Result: GitHub allowed the duplicate creation and now the repository has two .github/workflows directories with identical names
6. Only after creating the duplicate did workflows appear in the Actions tab

Reproduction Steps

1. Create a profile repository (format: username/username)
2. Manually create .github/workflows/main.yml with valid workflow content
3. Commit and navigate to Actions tab
4. Observe: No workflows are detected/displayed
5. Click "New workflow" → "set up a workflow yourself"
6. Use the same filename: .github/workflows/main.yml
7. Result: GitHub creates a duplicate directory structure

Current Repository State

.github/ ├── workflows/ (original - manually created) │ └── main.yml └── workflows/ (duplicate - created via Actions UI) └── main.yml 

Evidence:

• Downloaded repository as ZIP
• File properties show identical directory names
• Extraction prompts: "already contains a file named 'main.yml'"
• After extraction: only one workflows folder visible (files merged)

Expected vs Actual Behavior

Expected:

• GitHub should detect manually created workflow files
• Should not allow duplicate directory creation
• Should show "Workflow already exists" error or similar

Actual:

• Manual workflows are invisible to Actions UI
• Duplicate directory creation is permitted
• Workflows only appear after UI-based creation

Technical Details

# Original workflow content (main.yml)name: generate animationon: schedule: - cron: "0 */24 * * *"workflow_dispatch: push: branches: - masterjobs: generate: permissions: contents: writeruns-on: ubuntu-latesttimeout-minutes: 5steps: - name: generate github-contribution-grid-snake.svguses: Platane/snk/svg-only@v3with: github_user_name: ${{github.repository_owner }}outputs: | dist/github-contribution-grid-snake.svg dist/github-contribution-grid-snake-dark.svg?palette=github-dark - name: push github-contribution-grid-snake.svg to the output branchuses: crazy-max/[email protected]with: target_branch: outputbuild_dir: distenv: GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

Verification Test

Created a test repository (Ni-Sun/test) with identical workflow setup:

• ✅ Regular repository: Manual workflow immediately visible in Actions tab
• ❌ Profile repository: Manual workflow invisible, duplicate creation allowed

Multiple Issues Identified

1. Detection Bug: Actions UI fails to detect manually created workflows in profile repositories
2. Validation Bug: GitHub allows creation of duplicate .github/workflows directories
3. File System Bug: Two directories with identical names can coexist in the repository

Impact

• Confusion about which workflow file is actually being used
• Potential conflicts between duplicate workflows
• Poor user experience when setting up Actions in profile repositories
• Risk of unintended workflow behavior due to file system ambiguity

Repository Information

• Profile Repository: https://github.com/Ni-Sun/Ni-Sun
• User: @Ni-Sun
• Issue Discovery Date: 2025-11-11
• Current Status: Workflows now visible but with duplicate directory structure

This appears to be a specific bug affecting profile repositories where the Actions UI detection mechanism fails for manually created workflows, leading to a cascade of file system and validation issues.

[github-actions[bot]]

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