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Clarify when private actions can be referenced directly #43969

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Clarify when private actions can be referenced directly #43969

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4 changes: 3 additions & 1 deletion content/actions/reference/workflows-and-actions/workflow-syntax.md
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Expand Up @@ -653,7 +653,9 @@ jobs:

### Example: Using an action inside a different private repository than the workflow

Your workflow must checkout the private repository and reference the action locally. Generate a {% data variables.product.pat_generic %} and add the token as a secret. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/creating-a-personal-access-token) and [AUTOTITLE](/actions/security-guides/using-secrets-in-github-actions).
If the action is in an internal repository, or in a private repository that's configured to allow access from your workflow's repository, you can reference the action directly. For more information, see [Allowing access to components in an internal repository](/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/enabling-features-for-your-repository/managing-github-actions-settings-for-a-repository#allowing-access-to-components-in-an-internal-repository) and [Allowing access to components in a private repository](/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/enabling-features-for-your-repository/managing-github-actions-settings-for-a-repository#allowing-access-to-components-in-a-private-repository).
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Copilot AI Apr 25, 2026

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The section title is now narrower than the guidance immediately under it (which covers internal repositories and eligible private repositories). This mismatch can confuse readers scanning headings. Consider broadening the heading (e.g., internal or private repository) or splitting into a short 'Direct reference' subsection plus the existing checkout-based example.

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Copilot AI Apr 25, 2026

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This sentence is doing a lot at once (multiple conditions + two links) and uses a contraction ('that's'), which many documentation style guides avoid. Consider splitting into two sentences and using 'that is' to improve readability and consistency.

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The following example shows one way to use an action from a different private repository when you need to check out the repository and reference the action locally. Generate a {% data variables.product.pat_generic %} and add the token as a secret. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/creating-a-personal-access-token) and [AUTOTITLE](/actions/security-guides/using-secrets-in-github-actions).

Replace `PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN` in the example with the name of your secret.

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