Github Actions repository_dispatch example

from.yaml

name: Build Artifacts

on: [push]

jobs:
  build:

    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v1
      with:
        fetch-depth: 1

    - name: call the other repo
      env:
        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
        EVENT: YOUR_EVENT_TYPE
        ORG: YOUR_ORG_NAME
        REPO: YOUR_REPO_NAME
      run: |
        curl -d "{\"event_type\": \"${EVENT}\"}" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: token ${GITHUB_TOKEN}" -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.everest-preview+json" "https://api.github.com/repos/${ORG}/${REPO}/dispatches"

to.yaml

name: dispatch receiver

on: [repository_dispatch]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v1
    - name: dispatch trigger
      if: github.event.action == "YOUR_EVENT_TYPE"
      run: |
        echo "repository_dispatch triggered"

Your repository_dispatch receiver yaml config have to be in the repo default branch.

Just posting here since it doesn't seem to be documented - you can also specify a list of types to trigger on:

on:
  repository_dispatch:
    types:
      - manual-trigger-mytest
      - manual-trigger-all

and triggered with

curl -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.everest-preview+json" \
    -H "Authorization: token <token>" \
    --request POST \
    --data '{"event_type": "manual-trigger-mytest"}' \
    https://api.github.com/repos/<org>/<repo>/dispatches

(credit to https://goobar.io/2019/12/07/manually-trigger-a-github-actions-workflow/)

For this to work with the latest Github workflows you can't use secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN when triggering another workflow. If you do, Github will ignore the request. This is to avoid infinite loops. Instead, you will need to set up an access token, store it in your repo or orgs secrets and reference that instead.

Docs: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/triggering-a-workflow#triggering-a-workflow-from-a-workflow

@big-andy-coates Exceptions have been made for using GITHUB_TOKEN for workflow_dispatch and repository_dispatch - https://github.blog/changelog/2022-09-08-github-actions-use-github_token-with-workflow_dispatch-and-repository_dispatch/

Oh that's now a lot easier - thanks for the update @whsalazar !