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title intro permissions redirect_from versions type topics shortTitle allowTitleToDifferFromFilename
Customizing your advanced setup for code scanning
You can customize how your advanced setup scans the code in your project for vulnerabilities and errors.
{% data reusables.permissions.code-scanning-all-alerts %} if [advanced setup](/code-security/code-scanning/creating-an-advanced-setup-for-code-scanning/configuring-advanced-setup-for-code-scanning) is already enabled
/github/finding-security-vulnerabilities-and-errors-in-your-code/configuring-code-scanning
/code-security/secure-coding/configuring-code-scanning
/code-security/secure-coding/automatically-scanning-your-code-for-vulnerabilities-and-errors/configuring-code-scanning
/code-security/code-scanning/automatically-scanning-your-code-for-vulnerabilities-and-errors/configuring-code-scanning
/github/finding-security-vulnerabilities-and-errors-in-your-code/automatically-scanning-your-code-for-vulnerabilities-and-errors/configuring-code-scanning
/code-security/code-scanning/automatically-scanning-your-code-for-vulnerabilities-and-errors/customizing-code-scanning
fpt ghes ghec
*
*
*
how_to
Advanced Security
Code scanning
Actions
Repositories
Pull requests
JavaScript
Python
Customize advanced setup
true

{% data reusables.code-scanning.enterprise-enable-code-scanning-actions %}

{% data reusables.code-scanning.codeql-action-version-ghes %}

About {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} configuration

You can run {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} on {% data variables.product.product_name %}, using {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %}, or from your continuous integration (CI) system. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE" or "AUTOTITLE."

With advanced setup for {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %}, you can customize a {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} workflow for granular control over your configuration. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} analysis is just one type of {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} you can do in {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}. {% data variables.product.prodname_marketplace %}{% ifversion ghes %} on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}{% endif %} contains other {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} workflows you can use. {% ifversion fpt or ghec %}You can find a selection of these on the "Get started with {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %}" page, which you can access from the {% octicon "shield" aria-hidden="true" %} Security tab.{% endif %} The specific examples given in this article relate to the {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} file.

Editing a {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} workflow

{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} saves workflow files in the .github/workflows directory of your repository. You can find a workflow you have added by searching for its file name. For example, by default, the workflow file for {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} is called codeql-analysis.yml.

  1. In your repository, browse to the workflow file you want to edit.
  2. In the upper right corner of the file view, to open the workflow editor, click {% octicon "pencil" aria-label="Edit file" %}.
  3. After you have edited the file, click Start commit and complete the "Commit changes" form. You can choose to commit directly to the current branch, or create a new branch and start a pull request.

For more information about editing workflow files, see "AUTOTITLE."

Configuring frequency

You can configure the {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} to scan code on a schedule or when specific events occur in a repository.

Scanning code when someone pushes a change, and whenever a pull request is created, prevents developers from introducing new vulnerabilities and errors into the code. Scanning code on a schedule informs you about the latest vulnerabilities and errors that {% data variables.product.company_short %}, security researchers, and the community discover, even when developers aren't actively maintaining the repository.

Scanning on push

By default, the {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} uses the on:push event to trigger a code scan on every push to the default branch of the repository and any protected branches. For {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} to be triggered on a specified branch, the workflow must exist in that branch. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

If you scan on push, then the results appear in the Security tab for your repository. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

Additionally, when an on:push scan returns results that can be mapped to an open pull request, these alerts will automatically appear on the pull request in the same places as other pull request alerts. The alerts are identified by comparing the existing analysis of the head of the branch to the analysis for the target branch. For more information on {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} alerts in pull requests, see "AUTOTITLE."

Scanning pull requests

The default {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} uses the pull_request event to trigger a code scan on pull requests targeted against the default branch. {% ifversion ghes %}The pull_request event is not triggered if the pull request was opened from a private fork.{% else %}If a pull request is from a private fork, the pull_request event will only be triggered if you've selected the "Run workflows from fork pull requests" option in the repository settings. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."{% endif %}

For more information about the pull_request event, see "AUTOTITLE."

If you scan pull requests, then the results appear as alerts in a pull request check. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

Using the pull_request trigger, configured to scan the pull request's merge commit rather than the head commit, will produce more efficient and accurate results than scanning the head of the branch on each push. However, if you use a CI/CD system that cannot be configured to trigger on pull requests, you can still use the on:push trigger and {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} will map the results to open pull requests on the branch and add the alerts as annotations on the pull request. For more information, see "Scanning on push."

{% ifversion fpt or ghec %}

Note

If your repository is configured with a merge queue, you need to include the merge_group event as an additional trigger for {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %}. This will ensure that pull requests are also scanned when they are added to a merge queue. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% endif %}

Avoiding unnecessary scans of pull requests

You might want to avoid a code scan being triggered on specific pull requests targeted against the default branch, irrespective of which files have been changed. You can configure this by specifying on:pull_request:paths-ignore or on:pull_request:paths in the {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} workflow. For example, if the only changes in a pull request are to files with the file extensions .md or .txt you can use the following paths-ignore array.

on:
  push:
    branches: [main, protected]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
    paths-ignore:
      - '**/*.md'
      - '**/*.txt'

Note

on:pull_request:paths-ignore and on:pull_request:paths set conditions that determine whether the actions in the workflow will run on a pull request. They don't determine what files will be analyzed when the actions are run. When a pull request contains any files that are not matched by on:pull_request:paths-ignore or on:pull_request:paths, the workflow runs the actions and scans all of the files changed in the pull request, including those matched by on:pull_request:paths-ignore or on:pull_request:paths, unless the files have been excluded. For information on how to exclude files from analysis, see "Specifying directories to scan."

For more information about using on:pull_request:paths-ignore and on:pull_request:paths to determine when a workflow will run for a pull request, see "AUTOTITLE."

Scanning on a schedule

If you use the default {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %}, the workflow will scan the code in your repository once a week, in addition to the scans triggered by events. To adjust this schedule, edit the cron value in the workflow. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

Note

{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} only runs scheduled jobs that are in workflows on the default branch. Changing the schedule in a workflow on any other branch has no effect until you merge the branch into the default branch.

Example

The following example shows a {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} for a particular repository that has a default branch called main and one protected branch called protected.

on:
  push:
    branches: [main, protected]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
  schedule:
    - cron: '20 14 * * 1'

This workflow scans:

  • Every push to the default branch and the protected branch
  • Every pull request to the default branch
  • The default branch every Monday at 14:20 UTC

Specifying an operating system

Note

  • Code scanning of Swift code uses macOS runners by default. {% ifversion fpt or ghec %}{% data variables.product.company_short %}-hosted macOS runners are more expensive than Linux and Windows runners, so you should consider only scanning the build step. For more information about configuring code scanning for Swift, see "AUTOTITLE." For more information about pricing for {% data variables.product.company_short %}-hosted runners, see "AUTOTITLE."{% endif %}

  • {% data reusables.code-scanning.default-setup-swift-self-hosted-runners %}

If your code requires a specific operating system to compile, you can configure the operating system in your {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %}. Edit the value of jobs.analyze.runs-on to specify the operating system for the machine that runs your {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} actions. {% ifversion ghes %}You specify the operating system by using an appropriate label as the second element in a two-element array, after self-hosted.{% else %}

jobs:
  analyze:
    name: Analyze
    runs-on: [ubuntu-latest]

If you choose to use a self-hosted runner for code scanning, you can specify an operating system by using an appropriate label as the second element in a two-element array, after self-hosted.{% endif %}

jobs:
  analyze:
    name: Analyze
    runs-on: [self-hosted, ubuntu-latest]

{% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} supports the latest versions of Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS. Typical values for this setting are therefore: ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, and macos-latest. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE" and "AUTOTITLE."

{% ifversion ghes %}You must ensure that Git is in the PATH variable on your self-hosted runners.{% else %}If you use a self-hosted runner, you must ensure that Git is in the PATH variable.{% endif %} For more information, see "AUTOTITLE" and "AUTOTITLE."

For recommended specifications (RAM, CPU cores, and disk) for running {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} analysis{% ifversion not ghes %} on self-hosted machines{% endif %}, see "AUTOTITLE."

Specifying the location for {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} databases

In general, you do not need to worry about where the {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} places {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} databases since later steps will automatically find databases created by previous steps. However, if you are writing a custom workflow step that requires the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} database to be in a specific disk location, for example to upload the database as a workflow artifact, you can specify that location using the db-location parameter under the init action.

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    db-location: {% raw %}'${{ github.runner_temp }}/my_location'{% endraw %}

The {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} will expect the path provided in db-location to be writable, and either not exist, or be an empty directory. When using this parameter in a job running on a self-hosted runner or using a Docker container, it's the responsibility of the user to ensure that the chosen directory is cleared between runs, or that the databases are removed once they are no longer needed. This is not necessary for jobs running on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runners, which obtain a fresh instance and a clean filesystem each time they run. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

If this parameter is not used, the {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} will create databases in a temporary location of its own choice. Currently the default value is {% raw %}${{ github.runner_temp }}/codeql_databases{% endraw %}.

Changing the languages that are analyzed

{% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} automatically detects code written in the supported languages.

{% data reusables.code-scanning.codeql-languages-bullets %}

{% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} uses the following language identifiers:

{% data reusables.code-scanning.codeql-language-identifiers-table %}

The default {% data variables.code-scanning.codeql_workflow %} file contains a matrix called language which lists the languages in your repository that are analyzed. {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} automatically populates this matrix when you add {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} to a repository. Using the language matrix optimizes {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} to run each analysis in parallel. We recommend that all workflows adopt this configuration due to the performance benefits of parallelizing builds. For more information about matrices, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% data reusables.code-scanning.specify-language-to-analyze %}

If your workflow uses the language matrix then {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} is hardcoded to analyze only the languages in the matrix. To change the languages you want to analyze, edit the value of the matrix variable. You can remove a language to prevent it being analyzed or you can add a language that was not present in the repository when {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} was configured. For example, if the repository initially only contained JavaScript when {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} was configured, and you later added Python code, you will need to add python to the matrix.

jobs:
  analyze:
    name: Analyze
    ...
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        language: [{% ifversion codeql-language-identifiers-311 %}'javascript-typescript'{% else %}'javascript'{% endif %}, 'python']

If your workflow does not contain a matrix called language, then {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} is configured to run analysis sequentially. If you don't specify languages in the workflow, {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} automatically detects, and attempts to analyze, any supported languages in the repository. If you want to choose which languages to analyze, without using a matrix, you can use the languages parameter under the init action.

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    languages: {% ifversion codeql-language-identifiers-311 %}c-cpp{% else %}cpp{% endif %}, csharp, python

Defining the alert severities that cause a check failure for a pull request

{% ifversion code-scanning-merge-protection-rulesets %}

You can use rulesets to prevent pull requests from being merged when one of the following conditions is met:

{% data reusables.code-scanning.merge-protection-rulesets-conditions %}

For more information, see "AUTOTITLE." For more general information about rulesets, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% else %}

{% data reusables.code-scanning.pull-request-checks %}

You can edit which severity and security severity alert levels cause a check failure. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% endif %}

Configuring a category for the analysis

Use category to distinguish between multiple analyses for the same tool and commit, but performed on different languages or different parts of the code. The category you specify in your workflow will be included in the SARIF results file.

This parameter is particularly useful if you work with monorepos and have multiple SARIF files for different components of the monorepo.

    - name: Perform CodeQL Analysis
      uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-analyze %}
      with:
        # Optional. Specify a category to distinguish between multiple analyses
        # for the same tool and ref. If you don't use `category` in your workflow,
        # GitHub will generate a default category name for you
        category: "my_category"

If you don't specify a category parameter in your workflow, {% data variables.product.product_name %} will generate a category name for you, based on the name of the workflow file triggering the action, the action name, and any matrix variables. For example:

  • The .github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml workflow and the analyze action will produce the category .github/workflows/codeql.yml:analyze.
  • The .github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml workflow, the analyze action, and the {language: {% ifversion codeql-language-identifiers-311 %}javascript-typescript{% else %}javascript{% endif %}, os: linux} matrix variables will produce the category .github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml:analyze/language:{% ifversion codeql-language-identifiers-311 %}javascript-typescript{% else %}javascript{% endif %}/os:linux.

The category value will appear as the <run>.automationDetails.id property in SARIF v2.1.0. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

Your specified category will not overwrite the details of the runAutomationDetails object in the SARIF file, if included.

{% ifversion codeql-model-packs %}

Extending {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} coverage with {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} model packs

If your codebase depends on a library or framework that is not recognized by the standard queries in {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %}, you can extend the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} coverage in your {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} workflow by specifying published {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} model packs. For more information about creating your own model packs, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% data reusables.code-scanning.beta-model-packs %}

{% ifversion codeql-threat-models %}

Using {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} model packs

{% endif %}

To add one or more published {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} model packs, specify them inside the with: packs: entry within the uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %} section of the workflow. Within packs you specify one or more packages to use and, optionally, which version to download. Where you don't specify a version, the latest version is downloaded. If you want to use packages that are not publicly available, you need to set the GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable to a secret that has access to the packages. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE" and "AUTOTITLE."

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    config-file: ./.github/codeql/codeql-config.yml
    queries: security-extended
    packs: my-company/my-java-queries@~7.8.9,my-repo/my-java-model-pack

In this example, the default queries will be run for Java, as well as the queries from a version greater than or equal to 7.8.9 and less than 7.9.0 of the query pack my-company/my-java-queries. The dependencies modeled in the latest version of the model pack my-repo/my-java-model-pack will be available to both the default queries and those in my-company/my-java-queries.

{% endif %}

Running additional queries

{% data reusables.code-scanning.run-additional-queries %}

Using query packs

To add one or more {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} query packs, add a with: packs: entry within the uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %} section of the workflow. Within packs you specify one or more packages to use and, optionally, which version to download. Where you don't specify a version, the latest version is downloaded. If you want to use packages that are not publicly available, you need to set the GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable to a secret that has access to the packages. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE" and "AUTOTITLE."

Note

For workflows that generate {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} databases for multiple languages, you must instead specify the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} query packs in a configuration file. For more information, see "Specifying {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} query packs" below.

In the example below, scope is the organization or personal account that published the package. When the workflow runs, the four {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} query packs are downloaded from {% data variables.product.product_name %} and the default queries or query suite for each pack run:

  • The latest version of pack1 is downloaded and all default queries are run.
  • Version 1.2.3 of pack2 is downloaded and all default queries are run.
  • The latest version of pack3 that is compatible with version 3.2.1 is downloaded and all queries are run.
  • Version 4.5.6 of pack4 is downloaded and only the queries found in path/to/queries are run.
- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    # Comma-separated list of packs to download
    packs: scope/pack1,scope/[email protected],scope/pack3@~3.2.1,scope/[email protected]:path/to/queries

Note

If you specify a particular version of a query pack to use, beware that the version you specify may eventually become too old to be used efficiently by the default {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} engine used by the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} action. To ensure optimal performance, if you need to specify exact query pack versions, you should consider reviewing periodically whether the pinned version of the query pack needs to be moved forward.

For more information about pack compatibility, see "AUTOTITLE."

Downloading {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} packs from {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %}

If your workflow uses packs that are published on a {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %} installation, you need to tell your workflow where to find them. You can do this by using the registries input of the {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %} action. This input accepts a list of url, packages, and token properties as shown below.

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    registries: {% raw %}|
      # URL to the container registry, usually in this format
      - url: https://containers.GHEHOSTNAME1/v2/

        # List of package glob patterns to be found at this registry
        packages:
          - my-company/*
          - my-company2/*

        # Token, which should be stored as a secret
        token: ${{ secrets.GHEHOSTNAME1_TOKEN }}

      # URL to the default container registry
      - url: https://ghcr.io/v2/
        # Packages can also be a string
        packages: "*/*"
        token: ${{ secrets.GHCR_TOKEN }}

    {% endraw %}

The package patterns in the registries list are examined in order, so you should generally place the most specific package patterns first. The values for token must be a {% data variables.product.pat_v1 %} generated by the GitHub instance you are downloading from with the read:packages permission.

Notice the | after the registries property name. This is important since {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} inputs can only accept strings. Using the | converts the subsequent text to a string, which is parsed later by the {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %} action.

Using queries in QL packs

To add one or more queries, add a with: queries: entry within the uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %} section of the workflow. If the queries are in a private repository, use the external-repository-token parameter to specify a token that has access to checkout the private repository.

You can also specify query suites in the value of queries. Query suites are collections of queries, usually grouped by purpose or language.

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    # Comma-separated list of queries / packs / suites to run.
    # This may include paths or a built in suite, for example:
    # security-extended or security-and-quality.
    queries: security-extended
    # Optional. Provide a token to access queries stored in private repositories.
    external-repository-token: {% raw %}${{ secrets.ACCESS_TOKEN }}{% endraw %}

{% data reusables.code-scanning.codeql-query-suites-explanation %}

Working with custom configuration files

If you also use a configuration file for custom settings, any additional packs or queries specified in your workflow are used instead of those specified in the configuration file. If you want to run the combined set of additional packs or queries, prefix the value of packs or queries in the workflow with the + symbol. For more information, see "Using a custom configuration file."

In the following example, the + symbol ensures that the specified additional packs and queries are used together with any specified in the referenced configuration file.

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    config-file: ./.github/codeql/codeql-config.yml
    queries: +security-and-quality,octo-org/python-qlpack/show_ifs.ql@main
    packs: +scope/pack1,scope/[email protected],scope/[email protected]:path/to/queries

Using a custom configuration file

A custom configuration file is an alternative way to specify additional packs and queries to run. You can also use the file to disable the default queries, exclude or include specific queries, and to specify which directories to scan during analysis.

In the workflow file, use the config-file parameter of the init action to specify the path to the configuration file you want to use. This example loads the configuration file ./.github/codeql/codeql-config.yml.

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    config-file: ./.github/codeql/codeql-config.yml

{% data reusables.code-scanning.custom-configuration-file %}

If the configuration file is located in an external private repository, use the external-repository-token parameter of the init action to specify a token that has access to the private repository.

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    external-repository-token: {% raw %}${{ secrets.ACCESS_TOKEN }}{% endraw %}

The settings in the configuration file are written in YAML format.

Specifying {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} query packs

You specify {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} query packs in an array. Note that the format is different from the format used by the workflow file.

{% raw %}

packs:
  # Use the latest version of 'pack1' published by 'scope'
  - scope/pack1
  # Use version 1.2.3 of 'pack2'
  - scope/[email protected]
  # Use the latest version of 'pack3' compatible with 3.2.1
  - scope/pack3@~3.2.1
  # Use pack4 and restrict it to queries found in the 'path/to/queries' directory
  - scope/pack4:path/to/queries
  # Use pack5 and restrict it to the query 'path/to/single/query.ql'
  - scope/pack5:path/to/single/query.ql
  # Use pack6 and restrict it to the query suite 'path/to/suite.qls'
  - scope/pack6:path/to/suite.qls

{% endraw %}

The full format for specifying a query pack is scope/name[@version][:path]. Both version and path are optional. version is semver version range. If it is missing, the latest version is used. For more information about semver ranges, see the semver docs on npm.

If you have a workflow that generates more than one {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} database, you can specify any {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} query packs to run in a custom configuration file using a nested map of packs.

{% raw %}

packs:
  # Use these packs for JavaScript and TypeScript analysis
  javascript:
    - scope/js-pack1
    - scope/js-pack2
  # Use these packs for Java and Kotlin analysis
  java:
    - scope/java-pack1
    - scope/[email protected]

{% endraw %}

{% ifversion codeql-threat-models %}

Extending {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} coverage with threat models

{% data reusables.code-scanning.beta-threat-models %}

The default threat model includes remote sources of untrusted data. You can extend the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} threat model to include local sources of untrusted data (for example: command-line arguments, environment variables, file systems, and databases) by specifying threat-models: local in a custom configuration file. If you extend the threat model, the default threat model will also be used.

{% endif %}

Specifying additional queries

You specify additional queries in a queries array. Each element of the array contains a uses parameter with a value that identifies a single query file, a directory containing query files, or a query suite definition file.

queries:
  - uses: ./my-basic-queries/example-query.ql
  - uses: ./my-advanced-queries
  - uses: ./query-suites/my-security-queries.qls

Optionally, you can give each array element a name, as shown in the example configuration files below. For more information about additional queries, see "Running additional queries" above.

Disabling the default queries

If you only want to run custom queries, you can disable the default security queries by using disable-default-queries: true.

Excluding specific queries from analysis

You can add exclude and include filters to your custom configuration file, to specify the queries you want to exclude or include in the analysis.

This is useful if you want to exclude, for example:

  • Specific queries from the default suites (security, security-extended and security-and-quality).
  • Specific queries whose results do not interest you.
  • All the queries that generate warnings and recommendations.

You can use exclude filters similar to those in the configuration file below to exclude queries that you want to remove from the default analysis. In the example of configuration file below, both the js/redundant-assignment and the js/useless-assignment-to-local queries are excluded from analysis.

query-filters:
  - exclude:
      id: js/redundant-assignment
  - exclude:
      id: js/useless-assignment-to-local

To find the id of a query, you can click the alert in the list of alerts in the Security tab. This opens the alert details page. The Rule ID field contains the query id. For more information about the alert details page, see "AUTOTITLE."

Tip

  • The order of the filters is important. The first filter instruction that appears after the instructions about the queries and query packs determines whether the queries are included or excluded by default.
  • Subsequent instructions are executed in order and the instructions that appear later in the file take precedence over the earlier instructions.

You can find another example illustrating the use of these filters in the "Example configuration files" section.

For more information about using exclude and include filters in your custom configuration file, see "AUTOTITLE." For information on the query metadata you can filter on, see "Metadata for CodeQL queries."

Specifying directories to scan

When codebases are analyzed without building the code, you can restrict {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} to files in specific directories by adding a paths array to the configuration file. You can also exclude the files in specific directories from analysis by adding a paths-ignore array. You can use this option when you run the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} actions on an interpreted language (Python, Ruby, and JavaScript/TypeScript){% ifversion codeql-no-build %} or when you analyze a compiled language without building the code (currently supported for {% data variables.code-scanning.no_build_support %}){% endif %}.

paths:
  - src
paths-ignore:
  - src/node_modules
  - '**/*.test.js'

Note

  • The paths and paths-ignore keywords, used in the context of the {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} configuration file, should not be confused with the same keywords when used for on.<push|pull_request>.paths in a workflow. When they are used to modify on.<push|pull_request> in a workflow, they determine whether the actions will be run when someone modifies code in the specified directories. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."
  • The filter pattern characters ?, +, [, ], and ! are not supported and will be matched literally.
  • ** characters can only be at the start or end of a line, or surrounded by slashes, and you can't mix ** and other characters. For example, foo/**, **/foo, and foo/**/bar are all allowed syntax, but **foo isn't. However you can use single stars along with other characters, as shown in the example. You'll need to quote anything that contains a * character.

For analysis where code is built, if you want to limit {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} to specific directories in your project, you must specify appropriate build steps in the workflow. The commands you need to use to exclude a directory from the build will depend on your build system. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

You can quickly analyze small portions of a monorepo when you modify code in specific directories. You'll need to both exclude directories in your build steps and use the paths-ignore and paths keywords for on.<push|pull_request> in your workflow.

Example configuration files

{% data reusables.code-scanning.example-configuration-files %}

Specifying configuration details using the config input

If you'd prefer to specify additional configuration details in the workflow file, you can use the config input of the init command of the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} action. The value of this input must be a YAML string that follows the configuration file format documented at "Using a custom configuration file" above.

Example configuration

This step in a {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} workflow file uses a config input to disable the default queries, add the security-extended query suite, and exclude queries that are tagged with cwe-020.

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    languages: {% raw %}${{ matrix.language }}{% endraw %}
    config: |
      disable-default-queries: true
      queries:
        - uses: security-extended
      query-filters:
        - exclude:
            tags: /cwe-020/

You can use the same approach to specify any valid configuration options in the workflow file.

Tip

You can share one configuration across multiple repositories using {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} variables. One benefit of this approach is that you can update the configuration in a single place without editing the workflow file.

In the following example, vars.CODEQL_CONF is a {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} variable. Its value can be the contents of any valid configuration file. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

- uses: {% data reusables.actions.action-codeql-action-init %}
  with:
    languages: {% raw %}${{ matrix.language }}{% endraw %}
    config: {% raw %}${{ vars.CODEQL_CONF }}{% endraw %}

Configuring {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} for compiled languages

{% ifversion codeql-no-build %}

For compiled languages, you can decide how the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} action creates a {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} database for analysis. For information about the build options available, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% else %}

For compiled languages, the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} action builds the codebase to create a {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} database for analysis. By default, {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} uses autobuild steps to identify the most likely build method for the codebase. {% data reusables.code-scanning.autobuild-add-build-steps %} For more information about how to configure {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} for compiled languages, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% endif %}

Uploading {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} data to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}

{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} can display code analysis data generated externally by a third-party tool. You can upload code analysis data with the upload-sarif action. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."