CI Integration

CI Integration

GitHub Actions

Native GitHub Action (recommended — since v0.5.0)

The simplest integration: one line of YAML, no binary download, no Docker pull. The action installs the correct binary for the runner OS and architecture, then runs addlicense.

name: License check

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  license:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: GregoireF/addlicense@v0.5.0
        with:
          args: --check .

With a config file (.addlicenserc.yaml), args can be omitted — the default is --check .:

      - uses: GregoireF/addlicense@v0.5.0

To add headers automatically instead of checking:

      - uses: GregoireF/addlicense@v0.5.0
        with:
          args: --license MIT --author "Your Name" .

To use addlicense in multiple steps (setup only):

      - uses: GregoireF/addlicense@v0.5.0
        with:
          args: ''   # skip the built-in run step

      - name: Check
        run: addlicense --check .

      - name: Report
        run: addlicense --format json . | jq .

Supported runners: ubuntu-*, macos-*, windows-* × amd64 + arm64.

---

Check on every push (curl install)

name: License check

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  license:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Install addlicense
        run: |
          curl -sSL https://github.com/GregoireF/addlicense/releases/latest/download/addlicense_linux_amd64.tar.gz \
            | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin addlicense

      - name: Check license headers
        run: addlicense --check .

Using Docker (no binary download)

      - name: Check license headers
        run: |
          docker run --rm -v "$PWD:/src" -w /src \
            ghcr.io/gregoiref/addlicense:latest --check .

Add headers automatically on PRs

name: Add license headers

on:
  pull_request:
    types: [opened, synchronize]

permissions:
  contents: write

jobs:
  add-headers:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          ref: ${{ github.head_ref }}
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Install addlicense
        run: |
          curl -sSL https://github.com/GregoireF/addlicense/releases/latest/download/addlicense_linux_amd64.tar.gz \
            | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin addlicense

      - name: Add missing headers
        run: addlicense --license MIT --author "Your Name" .

      - name: Commit if changed
        run: |
          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
          git diff --quiet || git commit -am "chore: add missing license headers"
          git push

With a config file (.addlicenserc.yaml)

When the repo has a config file, the check command needs no extra flags:

      - name: Check license headers
        run: addlicense --check .

---

GitLab CI

license-check:
  image: alpine:latest
  stage: test
  before_script:
    - apk add --no-cache curl tar
    - curl -sSL https://github.com/GregoireF/addlicense/releases/latest/download/addlicense_linux_amd64.tar.gz
        | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin addlicense
  script:
    - addlicense --check .

---

pre-commit

addlicense ships an official .pre-commit-hooks.yaml since v0.4.0. pre-commit installs the binary automatically via go install — no manual setup required.

Check mode (recommended for most teams)

# .pre-commit-config.yaml
repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/GregoireF/addlicense
    rev: v0.4.0
    hooks:
      - id: addlicense-check
        # optionally pass flags; or rely on .addlicenserc.yaml
        # args: [--license, MIT, --author, "Your Name"]

This hook exits non-zero if any tracked source file is missing a header. It does not modify files, making it safe for all CI runners.

Auto-add mode

repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/GregoireF/addlicense
    rev: v0.4.0
    hooks:
      - id: addlicense-add
        args: [--license, MIT, --author, "Your Name"]

This hook injects missing headers before the commit is finalised. If you use a config file (.addlicenserc.yaml), you can omit the args.

Using both hooks

repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/GregoireF/addlicense
    rev: v0.4.0
    hooks:
      - id: addlicense-add   # inject first
      - id: addlicense-check # then verify

---

Makefile

.PHONY: license-check license-add

license-check:
	addlicense --check .

license-add:
	addlicense --license MIT --author "Your Name" .

---

Pin a specific version

To avoid breaking CI when a new release ships, pin to a specific version:

      - name: Install addlicense v0.4.0
        run: |
          curl -sSL https://github.com/GregoireF/addlicense/releases/download/v0.4.0/addlicense_linux_amd64.tar.gz \
            | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin addlicense

Or with Docker:

        run: docker run --rm -v "$PWD:/src" -w /src ghcr.io/gregoiref/addlicense:v0.4.0 --check .

---

Ignore generated or vendored files

addlicense's default ignore list covers vendor, node_modules, *.pb.go, *.gen.go. For additional paths, use --ignore or a config file:

      - name: Check license headers
        run: addlicense --check --ignore "third_party,testdata,*.mock.go" .