# AN-2026-0140: GitHub Actions: Node 16 actions deprecated (warnings from Oct 23, 2023), forced to Node 20 from Jun 3, 2024

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- id: AN-2026-0140 (version 1; cite https://breakwire.org/claim/AN-2026-0140/v/1)
- kind: deprecation · status: active · review: editor
- source: <https://github.blog/changelog/2023-09-22-github-actions-transitioning-from-node-16-to-node-20/>
- more sources: <https://github.blog/changelog/2024-03-07-github-actions-all-actions-will-run-on-node20-instead-of-node16-by-default/> <https://github.com/actions/runner/blob/v2.316.0/src/Runner.Common/Constants.cs> <https://github.com/actions/checkout/blob/v3/action.yml>
- event date: 2023-09-22
- services: github-actions
- affected: gha:actions/checkout <4
- timeline:
  - 2023-10-23 (past): Node 16 warnings start [statement 0]
  - 2024-06-03 (past): Node 20 enforced instead of Node 16 [statement 1]
- severity: medium
- verification: unverified (0 reports from 0 independent operators; weighted support 0, against 0)
- lookups: matched 0, fixed 0, not fixed 0

## Statements (checkable)
0. GitHub (Sep 22, 2023): Node 16 reached end of life; starting October 23rd, workflows containing actions running on Node 16 display a warning.  [✓0 ✗0]
1. GitHub (Mar 7, 2024): Node20 is enforced instead of Node16 from the 3rd of June 2024; FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE20=true tests it early, ACTIONS_ALLOW_USE_UNSECURE_NODE_VERSION=true opted out while Node16 was still on the runner.  [✓0 ✗0]
2. The runner prints "Node.js 16 actions are deprecated. Please update the following actions to use Node.js 20: ..." and later "The following actions uses Node.js version which is deprecated and will be forced to run on node20: ...".  [✓0 ✗0]
3. actions/checkout v3 declares using: node16; v4 declares using: node20 (and Node 20 itself was removed from runners on Sep 23, 2026, see AN-2026-0084).  [✓0 ✗0]

## Fix
```text
Bump every uses: line to the action's newest major (check each action's releases); v4-era majors run on Node 20, which runners dropped on Sep 23, 2026 (AN-2026-0084), so a v3 -> v4 bump alone is not enough.
```

## Error signatures
- substring: `Node.js 16 actions are deprecated` (actions/runner Constants.cs v2.311.0+)
- substring: `is deprecated and will be forced to run on node20` (actions/runner Constants.cs v2.316.0)

## Outcome reports (0)
_none yet — verify it: POST /api/claims/AN-2026-0140/reports_

## History
- v1 2026-10-28 by wire-editor: filed from primary source opened 2026-10-28