This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Saurav Kumar
🎯 The Challenge
As a developer working on a long-term project, I faced a common problem: my GitHub contribution graph wasn't reflecting my actual work. Despite coding daily and pushing commits, my profile showed gaps because:
- Commits were on feature branches – GitHub only counts contributions on the default branch or merged PRs
- Wrong email configuration – My commits used a work email not linked to my GitHub account
- Time zone confusion – Struggled with UTC vs IST conversions
💡 The Solution: GitHub Actions
I decided to create an automated workflow that:
- Updates my
README.mddaily with a timestamp - Commits and pushes automatically
- Runs at 8:30 AM IST every day
- Can be triggered manually for testing
🛠️ Implementation Journey
Phase 1: Email Configuration Issue
Problem: Commits weren't showing up on my profile.
# Wrong config (work email)
git config user.email "work.email@company.com"
# Correct config (GitHub email)
git config user.email "your-github-email@gmail.com"
`
Solution: Set the correct email for the project:
bash
git config user.email "sk729584@gmail.com"
git config user.name "Saurav02022"
Phase 2: Branch Strategy Mistake
Problem: I initially merged the feature branch to main without asking – a workflow violation!
Lesson Learned: Always respect branching strategies and ask before merging to protected branches.
Solution:
`bash
Revert the unauthorized merge
git reset --hard
git push --force origin main
Return to feature branch
git checkout feature/day-02
`
Phase 3: GitHub Action Creation
Created .github/workflows/daily-readme-update.yml:
`yaml
name: Daily README Update
on:
# Scheduled trigger - runs daily at 8:30 AM IST
schedule:
- cron: '30 2 * * *' # 3:00 AM UTC = 8:30 AM IST
# Manual trigger
workflow_dispatch:
jobs:
update-readme:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout repository
uses: actions/checkout@v4
with:
token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
- name: Set up Git configuration
run: |
git config --local user.email "sk729584@gmail.com"
git config --local user.name "Saurav02022"
- name: Update README with current date and time
run: |
CURRENT_DATETIME=$(TZ='Asia/Kolkata' date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S IST')
if grep -q "<!-- AUTO-UPDATE-START -->" README.md; then
sed -i "/<!-- AUTO-UPDATE-START -->/,/<!-- AUTO-UPDATE-END -->/c\\
<!-- AUTO-UPDATE-START -->\\
**Last Updated:** $CURRENT_DATETIME\\
\\
*This section is automatically updated daily at 8:30 AM IST by GitHub Actions.*\\
<!-- AUTO-UPDATE-END -->" README.md
else
echo "" >> README.md
echo "---" >> README.md
echo "<!-- AUTO-UPDATE-START -->" >> README.md
echo "**Last Updated:** $CURRENT_DATETIME" >> README.md
echo "*This section is automatically updated daily at 8:30 AM IST by GitHub Actions.*" >> README.md
echo "<!-- AUTO-UPDATE-END -->" >> README.md
fi
- name: Check for changes
id: check_changes
run: |
if git diff --quiet; then
echo "changes=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
else
echo "changes=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
fi
- name: Commit and push changes
if: steps.check_changes.outputs.changes == 'true'
run: |
git add README.md
git commit -m "chore: Auto-update README with current timestamp"
git push
`
Phase 4: Time Zone Confusion
Initial Mistake: Set cron to '0 9 * * *' thinking it was IST.
Reality: Cron uses UTC!
9:00 AM UTC = 2:30 PM IST ❌
Correct Calculation:
- Target: 8:30 AM IST
- IST = UTC + 5:30
- 8:30 AM IST - 5:30 = 3:00 AM UTC
- ✅ Cron:
'30 2 * * *'(minute 30, hour 2 UTC)
🚀 Setup Steps
1. Enable Workflow Permissions
Repository → Settings → Actions → General → Workflow permissions
✅ Select “Read and write permissions”
✅ Check “Allow GitHub Actions to create and approve pull requests”
2. Add Auto-Update Section to README
Last Updated: 2025-10-06 00:12:34 IST
This section is automatically updated daily at 8:30 AM IST by GitHub Actions.
`
3. Test with Manual Trigger
Go to Actions tab → Daily README Update → Run workflow
✅ Results
- Daily contributions: Automatic green squares every day at 8:30 AM IST
- Zero maintenance: Completely automated
- Professional profile: Shows consistent activity
- Learning experience: Deep dive into GitHub Actions, cron, and time zones
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Email matters: GitHub links commits via email addresses
- Branch strategy: Only default branch commits count as contributions
- UTC vs Local Time: Always convert to UTC for cron schedules
- Test first: Use
workflow_dispatchfor manual testingGITHUB_TOKEN: Automatically provided, no manual secrets needed- Git etiquette: Never merge without permission!
📊 Impact
Before: Sporadic contributions, gaps in activity
After: Consistent daily contributions, professional profile
Bonus: Learned GitHub Actions automation
🔗 Resources
💬 Your Turn
Have you automated your GitHub contributions?
What challenges did you face? Drop your thoughts in the comments below! 👇
Tags: #GitHubActions #DevOps #Automation #GitHub #WebDev #Tutorial #Productivity
🔗 Connect with Me
- GitHub: github.com/Saurav02022
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/saurav02022
💬 What automation challenges have you solved?
Share your experiences in the comments below!
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Saurav Kumar
Saurav Kumar | Sciencx (2025-10-08T11:22:05+00:00) How I Automated Daily GitHub Contributions Using GitHub Actions ⚡. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/10/08/how-i-automated-daily-github-contributions-using-github-actions-%e2%9a%a1-3/
Please log in to upload a file.
There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.