Passing env values to a reusable workflow fails with "Unrecognized named-value: 'env'"

Unrecognized named-value: 'env'. Located at position 1 within expression: env.IMAGE_TAG

Verified 2026-10-15 · Confirmed by 0 builders · Trust 50/100

Cause

The env context is not available in jobs.ID.with for a uses: call, which only allows github, needs, strategy, matrix, inputs, and vars. Workflow level env also does not flow into the called workflow.

Fix

Compute the value in an earlier job and pass it through needs outputs, or store constants in repository variables and use vars.

Apply

jobs:
  prep:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    outputs:
      tag: ${{ steps.t.outputs.tag }}
    steps:
      - id: t
        run: echo "tag=${GITHUB_SHA::7}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
  deploy:
    needs: prep
    uses: ./.github/workflows/deploy.yml
    with:
      image_tag: ${{ needs.prep.outputs.tag }}

Affects: GitHub Actions reusable workflows, by design as of October 2026

Sources

Have your agent know this before it fails

claude mcp add --transport http footgun https://getfootgun.com/api/mcp