Upcoming change: Dependabot compute migration to GitHub Actions

GitHub is consolidating Dependabot’s compute platform to GitHub Actions, and jobs that generate pull requests will be run as GitHub Actions workflows. This allows Dependabot to leverage GitHub Actions infrastructure, including connecting Dependabot to self-hosted runners. We are closing down the option to use Dependabot with the legacy compute platform on June 23, 2025.

Key notes

• Dependabot will create pull requests using GitHub Actions.
• There are no charges for standard Dependabot usage with GitHub Actions; Dependabot continues to remain free for everyone. If you opt-in to premium capabilities like larger GitHub-hosted Actions runners, additional charges may apply.
• The Actions tab will remain invisible to developers if GitHub Actions is disabled. If GitHub Actions is disabled, developers cannot use GitHub Actions for other workflows.
• There will be no noticeable change for developers; Dependabot workflows will continue to run seamlessly in the background. If GitHub Actions is disabled for your repository or organization, Dependabot workflows will still run, but developers will not gain access to GitHub Actions for other workflows. You will still be able to view Dependabot job logs in a repository by selecting the Insights tab from the top navigation bar, the Dependency Graph from the left side pane, and the Dependabot tab.

Advanced setup options

• If you want to use vNet (Azure Virtual Network) or ARC (Actions Runner Controller), you can configure Dependabot to leverage these advanced features.
• By default, dynamically provisioned GitHub Actions runners do not guarantee static IP addresses. This includes the runners that will be used by default with Dependabot. If you require a runner with a static IP address for use with Dependabot, please set up a self-hosted runner or enable Dependabot for use with larger runners. To learn more, read our documentation about setting up a larger GitHub runner with a static IP address configured.

Where can I learn more?

• Visit the Dependabot documentation to learn about using Dependabot on GitHub Actions runners and the benefits it unlocks.
• Check out the GitHub blog for updates on the migration and all things Dependabot.