What Changed

The GitHub Actions workflow dispatch API endpoint now supports returning workflow run metadata. Previously, this endpoint returned only a 204 No Content status code with no response body, making it difficult to programmatically identify which workflow runs originated from API-triggered events.

New Capabilities

• Optional return_run_details parameter: Pass this boolean parameter in your API request to receive a 200 OK response containing:
  • Workflow ID
  • API URL for the workflow run
  • Workflow run URL
• Backward compatible: Omitting the parameter preserves the current 204 No Content behavior
• CLI support: Available in GitHub CLI v2.87.0+, with gh workflow run now returning the created run URL and providing quick access via gh run view commands

Developer Impact

With this update, developers can eliminate manual tracking solutions and extensive polling to map API requests to workflow runs. The new parameter defaults to true in the latest GitHub CLI version, streamlining the developer experience when triggering workflows programmatically.

Refer to the GitHub Actions documentation for detailed implementation guidance.