ST-2026-233 · Runtimes & developer platforms
GitHub extends Actions retention settings to checks, workflow runs and statuses on 1 October
Starting 1 October 2026, GitHub says checks, workflow runs and statuses will follow the same Actions retention setting that already governs artifacts and logs instead of remaining for 400 or more days.
Previous state
GitHub Actions artifact and log retention settings did not apply to checks, workflow runs and statuses, which could remain available for 400 or more days.
Current state
From 1 October 2026, checks, workflow runs and statuses will follow the configured Actions retention period; the default is 90 days and public repositories have a 90-day maximum for these surfaces.
Affected users
Who needs to care
Repositories and organisations that depend on historical GitHub Actions checks, workflow runs or statuses beyond their configured Actions retention window.
Required response
What to do
Review repository, organisation or enterprise Actions retention settings and preserve any historical checks, workflow-run or status data that must remain available beyond the configured period before 1 October 2026.
Evidence boundary
What the source does not prove
GitHub proves the scheduled retention-policy expansion and states that it is not retroactive. It does not establish that affected historical data has already been deleted before 1 October 2026.
Lifecycle history
Dated event sequence
- Retention expansion announced
GitHub announced that checks, workflow runs and statuses will join the existing Actions retention policy.
- Expanded retention enforcement begins
The configured Actions retention period is scheduled to apply to checks, workflow runs and statuses.
Evidence ledger
First-party sources
- 01GitHub — Actions retention will cover checks, workflow runs, and statuses
Official GitHub Changelog · 2026-08-27
Open official source ↗