Use direct upload for already-compressed artifacts

What it detects

actions/upload-artifact steps that upload a single already-compressed or binary file without using archive: false, or that use a version older than v7 which does not support direct uploads.

Why it matters

actions/upload-artifact v7 introduced direct (unzipped) uploads for single files. Wrapping an already-compressed file (e.g., .zip, .gz, .exe, .png) in an additional zip archive adds unnecessary CPU overhead and increases artifact size. Skipping the zip step saves time and storage.

Suggested action

• If the step uses actions/upload-artifact v6 or earlier, upgrade to v7 or later.
• Add archive: false to the step when uploading a single file of a compressed or binary format.

Measurement or verification guidance

Compare artifact upload duration and download size before and after enabling archive: false.

Compatibility notes

• archive: false is only supported for single-file uploads. If the path resolves to multiple files, the action will fail.
• When archive: false is used, the artifact name becomes the uploaded file name and the name input is ignored. Verify downstream download-artifact references if you rely on a custom artifact name.