Remove Node.js warning spam after fix

[TokisanGames]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Actions Checkout

Discussion Details

How do I stop the Node.js 20 warning spam? I'm aware Node.js 20 is being deprecated. I followed the instructions to test Node24 but I'm still getting spammed.

On each of my push builds, I had 15 warnings about Node20:

Original

Node.js 20 actions are deprecated. The following actions are running on Node.js 20 and may not work as expected: actions/cache@v4, actions/checkout@v4, actions/setup-python@v5, actions/upload-artifact@v4. Actions will be forced to run with Node.js 24 by default starting June 2nd, 2026. Node.js 20 will be removed from the runner on September 16th, 2026. Please check if updated versions of these actions are available that support Node.js 24. To opt into Node.js 24 now, set the FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24=true environment variable on the runner or in your workflow file. Once Node.js 24 becomes the default, you can temporarily opt out by setting ACTIONS_ALLOW_USE_UNSECURE_NODE_VERSION=true. For more information see: https://github.blog/changelog/2025-09-19-deprecation-of-node-20-on-github-actions-runners/

My yaml files already used this and similar for the other actions mentioned:
uses: actions/checkout@v4

I added this to all of my actions:

        env:
            FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: true

Now I'm still getting 15 warnings about this. I'm already aware that I forced node24 to run. This one is completely unnecessary.

Post Fix

Node.js 20 is deprecated. The following actions target Node.js 20 but are being forced to run on Node.js 24: actions/cache@v4, actions/checkout@v4, actions/setup-python@v5, actions/upload-artifact@v4. For more information see: https://github.blog/changelog/2025-09-19-deprecation-of-node-20-on-github-actions-runners/

[Synalix]

Unfortunately there's no way to suppress these warnings right now, they're emitted by the GitHub Actions runner itself, not by the actions, so FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24 doesn't silence them. It just forces Node 24 execution while still warning you that the action targets Node 20 internally.
The warnings will go away on their own once the action maintainers (GitHub) update the bundled Node target in those actions (checkout, cache, etc.) to Node 24. That's on their end, not yours.
For now, your setup is correct, you're already running on Node 24.

[kamaleshpanda]

You're not doing anything wrong — this is expected behavior right now.

Setting:

FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: true

only forces JavaScript actions to run on Node 24, but it does not suppress the warnings.

The warnings still appear because some actions (including official or third-party ones) are internally built on Node.js 20, and GitHub emits deprecation warnings for those regardless of the runtime override.

A couple of things you can check:

• Make sure you're using the latest versions of all actions (e.g., actions/checkout@v4, actions/setup-node@v4, etc.)
• Replace any older or unmaintained third-party actions if possible

That said, even after updating everything, you may still see these warnings. GitHub is still in the process of migrating away from Node 20, so some noise is unavoidable for now.

In short: your setup is correct — the warnings are coming from dependencies you don't fully control yet.

[syedsafeer]

Hi @TokisanGames, the reason you're still seeing 15 warnings is likely because other actions in your workflow (not just checkout) are still targeting Node 20 in their metadata.

The FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24 variable forces the runtime, but GitHub's runner still scans the action.yml of every step. If any third-party or older official actions (like actions/cache or actions/upload-artifact) are still on older versions, they will continue to trigger these warnings.

The Fix:
Check your entire .yml file and ensure every action is updated to the latest version (e.g., @v4 or @v5). If you are using third-party actions that haven't been updated by their authors yet, that is where the 'spam' is coming from.

[TokisanGames]

Thanks for the response. All actions were using the default @ v4 settings and getting warnings of deprecation. I have forced all to use node24. Now all actions warn that they're being forced to use Node24. The spam is coming from @ v4 or now from the node24 force. We're building for 14 platforms plus a merge = 15. The fix should be from github removing the unnecessary notice for the force. But most likely they will ignore this and we'll have spam for two months until they force everyone onto Node24.

[syedsafeer]

It’s a bit ironic that GitHub issues a 'warning' for the very fix they officially recommend!
Since you're managing 15 different builds, that noise definitely adds up. You're right—this is likely a 'transition period' noise that will persist until GitHub fully deprecates Node 20 and makes Node 24 the default runner environment. For now, we are essentially stuck between 'Deprecation warnings' or 'Forced version warnings.'

Good luck with your 14-platform project! If my previous explanation helped you pinpoint where the spam was coming from, please feel free to Mark as Answer.

[mert-batu]

[TokisanGames]

You didn't read the post, which states all actions were running on 20 with @ v4, and now are using 24 with @ v4. The problem was intentionally caused by github.

[TalVilozny]

You've hit a confirmed bug in the GitHub Actions runner. The short explanation:
In HandlerFactory.cs, the deprecation tracking happens before DetermineActionsNodeVersion is called. The action gets added to DeprecatedNode20Actions based on its declared version (node20), and only then does the runner check FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24 and upgrade the runtime to node24. The end-of-job warning then iterates over that list and claims the actions "are running on Node.js 20", even though they actually ran on Node 24. GitHub
In other words: you're not doing anything wrong. The warning is factually inaccurate — the actions ran on Node 24, the runner just logged them as Node 20 anyway due to the ordering bug.
The issue is tracked at actions/runner#4295 and hasn't been fixed yet.

[SriSomanaath]

The deprecation warning comes from the runner detecting a node16/node12 runtime declared in an action's action.yml, not from your workflow. After upgrading, the warning persists if a transitive action (one called inside another) still pins the old runtime. Run the workflow with ACTIONS_STEP_DEBUG=true, find which action emits it, then check that action's runs.using field. If it's a third-party action you can't edit, pin to a newer tag/SHA that uses node20, or fork-and-bump. The warning is informational and won't fail the run.

[joric]

I use standard github pages. How do I get rid of "Node.js 20 is deprecated" warnings? I didn't choose Node.js 20 and this is not my fault. Also I am getting a ton of "Deployment failed, try again later." on standard GitHub pages. they are rather random, like every 4th deployment fails. The repo was created in June 2026. I have no custom actions whatsoever, only GitHub pages, enabled in project settings.