Which commit message string, when included in the HEAD commit message, prevents GitHub Actions from triggering push and pull_request workflows?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation and Infographic
Adding [skip ci] or [ci skip] to your commit message is GitHub's built-in escape hatch — it skips push and PR triggers without editing workflow files.
Full explanation below image
![Educational infographic 1024x768 showing skip CI commit message feature. Git commit message examples: 'Update README [skip ci]' and 'Fix typo [ci skip]'. GitHub receiving push: checks HEAD commit message > finds [skip ci] > workflow skipped (no run created). List of valid skip strings: [skip ci], [ci skip], [no ci], [skip actions], [actions skip]. When to use: docs, style, config changes not needing CI.](/media/github/gh-200/GH-200-q124-infographic.webp)
Full Explanation
GitHub Actions recognizes several skip strings in the HEAD commit message: '[skip ci]', '[ci skip]', '[no ci]', '[skip actions]', '[actions skip]'. Any of these in the commit message body or title will prevent push and pull_request events from triggering workflows. This is useful for documentation changes, typo fixes, or version bumps that don't need CI. Note: this only works for push and pull_request events triggered by commits — it doesn't affect workflow_dispatch or schedule triggers. The check is case-insensitive.