How do you enable step debug logging in GitHub Actions to get more verbose output?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation and Infographic
ACTIONS_STEP_DEBUG is the master debug switch — store it as a secret set to 'true' and Actions floods you with diagnostic detail.
Full explanation below image
![Educational infographic 1024x768 showing debug logging setup. GitHub Settings > Secrets > Add ACTIONSSTEPDEBUG secret with value 'true'. Arrow pointing to workflow log showing verbose output: [debug] action details, runtime info, context dumps. Two debug secrets: ACTIONSSTEPDEBUG (step verbose) and ACTIONSRUNNERDEBUG (runner infrastructure). Toggle switch icon.](/media/github/gh-200/GH-200-q069-infographic.webp)
Full Explanation
GitHub Actions provides two debug secrets: 'ACTIONS_STEP_DEBUG' (enables step debug logging — verbose output from each step and action) and 'ACTIONS_RUNNER_DEBUG' (enables runner diagnostic logging — infrastructure-level details). To use them, add them as repository or organization secrets with the value 'true'. Re-run the workflow to see debug output. This is a secret (not a regular env var) to prevent log exposure in normal runs. Adding 'debug: true' to YAML doesn't work. '--verbose' via API doesn't exist. 'set -x' only shows shell commands, not action internals.