# GitHub Actions: Local Testing in CI

Run tests against a local Zuplo development server before deploying anywhere.
Catch issues earlier and avoid deploying broken changes.

```yaml title=".github/workflows/local-test-then-deploy.yaml"
name: Local Test Then Deploy

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
  pull_request:

jobs:
  local-test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: 20

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm install

      - name: Start local server and run tests
        run: |
          # Start the local dev server in the background
          npx zuplo dev &
          DEV_PID=$!

          # Wait for server to be ready
          echo "Waiting for local server to start..."
          sleep 10

          # Run tests against local server
          npx zuplo test --endpoint http://localhost:9000

          # Stop the dev server
          kill $DEV_PID

  deploy:
    needs: local-test
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    # Only deploy on push to main, not on PRs
    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
    env:
      ZUPLO_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ZUPLO_API_KEY }}

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: 20

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm install

      - name: Deploy to Zuplo
        run: npx zuplo deploy --api-key "$ZUPLO_API_KEY"
```

This workflow:

1. Starts a local Zuplo server in the CI environment
2. Runs your test suite against localhost
3. Only proceeds to deployment if local tests pass
4. Deploys to Zuplo (only on pushes to main)

## Why Test Locally First?

- **Faster feedback** — Local tests run without waiting for deployment
- **Catch syntax errors** — The local server validates your configuration
- **Test policies** — Verify authentication, rate limiting, and other policies
  work correctly
- **No wasted deployments** — Don't deploy changes that will fail tests

## Combining with Remote Tests

For maximum confidence, test both locally and against the deployed environment:

```yaml
jobs:
  local-test:
    # ... local testing job ...

  deploy-and-test:
    needs: local-test
    # ... deploy and run tests against live environment ...
```

## Next Steps

- Add [PR preview environments](./pr-preview-environments.mdx) for review
- Set up [multi-stage deployment](./multi-stage-deployment.mdx) with staging