What Triggers the Audit Job in the CI/CD Workflow: Path-Based Automation Explained

The audit job triggers whenever a push or pull request to the main branch modifies curriculum content, audit scripts, or site configuration files specified in the .github/workflows/curriculum.yml path filters.

The audit job is a critical component of the curriculum GitHub Actions workflow in the rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch repository. It ensures curriculum integrity by automatically running invariant checks and site builds whenever relevant source code changes.

How the Audit Job Is Triggered

The workflow defines two primary event triggers that activate the audit job, both restricted by path filters to avoid unnecessary executions.

Push Events to Main

When code is pushed to the main branch, GitHub evaluates the changed files against the paths list defined in the on.push configuration (lines 4‑78 of .github/workflows/curriculum.yml). If any modified file matches the specified patterns, the workflow initiates and the audit job begins execution.

Pull Request Events Targeting Main

Similarly, when a pull request is opened, synchronized, or reopened targeting the main branch, GitHub checks the PR's file changes against the on.pull_request.paths filter. The audit job runs only if the PR includes modifications to tracked curriculum or script files.

Path Filters That Activate the Audit Job

The workflow uses specific glob patterns to determine relevance. The audit job triggers when changes occur in:

• Curriculum content: phases/**, certifications/**, skills/**, and .claude/skills/** directories containing lesson and certification source files
• Audit scripts: All Python utilities in scripts/ including audit_lessons.py and audit_certifications.py
• Site generation: Static site builder files such as site/** and site/build.js
• Repository metadata: Core documentation like README.md, ROADMAP.md, and files within glossary/**
• Configuration: Deployment and language configuration files including vercel.json

If a commit modifies files outside these scopes—such as unrelated documentation or test data—the workflow remains dormant and the audit job skips execution.

What the Audit Job Executes

Once triggered by path-filtered events, the audit job performs a series of validation steps defined in the jobs: section of the workflow. According to the source code, this includes:

• Python invariant checks: Running scripts/audit_lessons.py to validate lesson structure and scripts/audit_certifications.py to verify certification requirements
• Test suites: Executing automated tests against the curriculum codebase
• De-bias validation: Running specialized checks to ensure content fairness and consistency
• Site build process: Executing site/build.js to generate the static site and verify the build completes without errors

These steps ensure that any changes to the curriculum meet quality standards before deployment.

Code Example: Trigger Configuration

The path-based logic is implemented directly in the workflow YAML:

# .github/workflows/curriculum.yml

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
    paths:
      - "phases/**"
      - "certifications/**"
      - "skills/**"
      - ".claude/skills/**"
      - "scripts/audit_lessons.py"
      - "scripts/audit_certifications.py"
      - "site/**"
      - "site/build.js"
      - "README.md"
      - "ROADMAP.md"
      # Additional paths...

  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
    paths:
      - "phases/**"
      - "certifications/**"
      - "skills/**"
      - ".claude/skills/**"
      - "scripts/audit_lessons.py"
      - "scripts/audit_certifications.py"
      - "site/**"
      - "site/build.js"
      - "README.md"
      - "ROADMAP.md"
      # Additional paths...

Both the push and pull_request triggers share identical path filters, ensuring consistent behavior whether integrating directly or through peer review.

Summary

• The audit job is defined in .github/workflows/curriculum.yml and triggers exclusively on push and pull_request events targeting the main branch.
• Path filters restrict execution to changes affecting curriculum content (phases/**, certifications/**, skills/**), audit scripts (scripts/audit_lessons.py, scripts/audit_certifications.py), site files (site/build.js), and core configuration.
• When activated, the job runs Python audit scripts, test suites, de-bias checks, and site builds to enforce curriculum integrity.
• Changes outside the specified paths—such as unrelated documentation updates—do not trigger the workflow, conserving CI/CD resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the audit job run on every commit to the repository?

No. The audit job runs only when commits modify files within the specific paths defined in the workflow's paths filter. If you commit changes to files outside the curriculum, scripts, or site directories, the workflow remains inactive and the job does not execute.

What specific files trigger the audit job when modified?

Key files include curriculum content in phases/**, certifications/**, and skills/**; audit utilities like scripts/audit_lessons.py and scripts/audit_certifications.py; site generation logic in site/build.js; and configuration files such as vercel.json, README.md, and ROADMAP.md. The complete list encompasses approximately 15+ path patterns defined in lines 4‑78 of the workflow configuration.

Can the audit job be triggered manually?

The analysis of .github/workflows/curriculum.yml focuses on automated triggers for push and pull request events. The repository does not appear to configure workflow_dispatch triggers in the provided source snippet, meaning the job relies on file changes to activate rather than manual execution through the GitHub Actions interface.

What happens if the audit job detects issues?

While the analysis emphasizes the job's execution of invariant checks through audit_lessons.py and audit_certifications.py, a failure in these Python scripts or the site build process (site/build.js) would typically result in a failed workflow status. This blocks the pull request from merging or indicates a broken build on the main branch, alerting maintainers to curriculum inconsistencies.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}