GitHub Actions Storage Quota Not Resetting After Clearing Artifacts (Free Tier)

[resh9425]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

ARC (Actions Runner Controller)

Discussion Details

I am currently using the GitHub Actions free tier and have been unable to upload files/artifacts to my GitHub Actions storage. The workflow consistently fails with a storage limit error.

Timeline of Events
May 26 (Evening): Workflows began failing due to the storage limit being reached.

May 28 (Forenoon): I proactively cleaned up my storage, deleting old artifacts and caches to free up space.

May 30 (Present): It has been over 48 hours since the cleanup, but the storage limit has still not refreshed, and my actions continue to fail.

Steps Already Taken
Deleted older artifacts and caches across repositories to bring usage well below the 500MB free tier limit.
Waited the community-recommended 48 hours for the backend storage metrics to sync.

Could support please look into forcing a manual sync or clearing the cached storage block on my account?

[LouieCRK]

Hi, this is usually not something Community members can manually fix, and GitHub Support would be the right place if the backend usage is genuinely stuck.

A few things I would check first:

1. Confirm whether the quota is coming from artifacts, caches, or packages, because Actions storage can include more than just visible workflow artifacts.
2. Check all repositories under the same account/org, not just the repo where the workflow is failing.
3. Reduce artifact retention in repo settings or in the workflow, for example using a shorter retention-days value.
4. Try deleting old workflow runs as well, not only artifacts/caches.
5. If usage still shows over the limit after 48+ hours, open a GitHub Support ticket with screenshots, the failing workflow run link, and confirmation that artifacts/caches were cleared.

From what I understand, storage usage is recalculated asynchronously, so deletion does not always unblock uploads immediately. But if it has genuinely been more than 48 hours and the usage is well below the 500MB free-tier limit, that sounds like either delayed billing/storage sync or a reporting issue that only GitHub Support can investigate.

[pranav158]

One additional thing I would check is whether the reported usage is actually coming from Actions artifacts alone.

Depending on your account and repository setup, storage consumption can also be affected by:

• GitHub Packages / GHCR container images
• Package versions retained by workflows
• Other repositories owned by the same account or organization
• Caches that have been deleted but not yet fully garbage-collected on the backend

It may also be worth comparing the storage figures shown under Settings → Billing & Plans → Usage with what you see in the Actions pages. If those numbers do not match, that can help determine whether this is a reporting issue or actual storage consumption.

If your usage is genuinely below the free-tier limit and uploads are still being rejected after more than 48 hours, there is unfortunately no user-accessible way to force a quota recalculation. In that case, I would recommend opening a GitHub Support ticket and including:

• A screenshot of current storage usage
• Confirmation that artifacts and caches were removed
• The exact workflow error message
• Links to affected workflow runs

That should give Support enough information to investigate whether the quota accounting or storage reporting is stuck on the backend.

[v-ember]

Hi @resh9425 ,

This community is managed by GitHub employees, but it is not a support forum.

@LouieCRK , @pranav158 thank you for taking your time to answer. You are right, the only place to go for answers to account-specific questions like this one is opening a ticket on our Support page.

As no other Community Discussions team members will be able to provide additional help with account related questions I am going to close this discussion. We appreciate your understanding and patience while Support works through your request!