This functionality is now part of actions/setup-node:

- name: Setup Node.js
  uses: actions/setup-node@v3
  with:
    node-version: '16'
    cache: 'npm'

Status and support

• ✔ stable
• ✖ not supported
• ✖ no ongoing development

GitHub Action caches improve build times and reduce network dependencies. However, writing the correct cache logic is tricky. You need to understand how the cache action (keys and restore keys) work. Did you know you're not supposed to cache the node_modules folder? The setup is different per OS and takes a lot of space in your workflows. Not anymore!

gha-npm-cache is a simple 1-liner that covers all use-cases, correctly:

• Caches the NPM cache directory instead of node-modules as recommended
• Works on Ubuntu, MacOS and Windows
• Restore keys take the OS into account as recommended
• Builds on the native cache functionality of GitHub Actions, same as v2 of the generic cache action

Add this step before npm install:

- uses: c-hive/gha-npm-cache@v1

For example:

.github/workflows/ci.yml

name: CI

on: [push]

jobs:
  lint:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v1

    - uses: c-hive/gha-npm-cache@v1
      # with:
        # directory: server # Optional, specify the folder of package-lock.json if not in the root directory

    - name: Install JS dependencies
      run: npm install
    - name: Test
      run: npm run test

Native

- name: Get npm cache directory
  id: npm-cache
  run: |
    echo "::set-output name=dir::$(npm config get cache)"
- uses: actions/cache@v1
  with:
    path: ${{ steps.npm-cache.outputs.dir }}
    key: ${{ runner.os }}-node-${{ hashFiles('**/package-lock.json') }}
    restore-keys: |
      ${{ runner.os }}-node-

gha-npm-cache

- uses: c-hive/gha-npm-cache@v1

• gha-yarn-cache

This project follows C-Hive guides for code style, way of working and other development concerns.

The project is available as open source under the terms of the MIT License.