act not picking up changes to workflow files without restarting Docker

[centranoisacs]

I'm iterating on a workflow file (.github/workflows/ci.yml) and running act push repeatedly. The problem is act seems to cache the workflow definition — when I edit the yml file and run act again, it still uses the old version.

I have to run docker system prune or restart Docker Desktop to get it to pick up changes. This makes the edit-test cycle really slow.

Running act 0.2.74 on macOS with Docker Desktop 4.37. Anyone else seeing this? Is there a flag to force act to reload workflow definitions?

[mehvetero]

had the same thing on 0.2.72. act caches the image layer that has the workflow baked in, so editing the yml doesn't propagate until the layer gets rebuilt.

fastest fix without restarting docker:

act push --rm

the --rm flag tears down the containers after the run, which forces a fresh copy of the workflow next time. no prune needed.

if that still doesn't pick it up, check if you have a .actrc that pins a specific image — that can also shadow your edits.

[centranoisacs]

The --rm flag was the missing piece. Was overthinking it with full prune cycles. Works now, thanks.