Lighthouse meets GitHub Actions: How to use Lighthouse in CI

Integrating Lighthouse into a GitHub Actions workflow enables automated performance and usability audits for web applications, which is particularly beneficial when deploying to Azure Static Web Apps. The tutorial describes how to set up this integration, starting from an empty GitHub repository to building a simple web application using Docusaurus, deploying it via GitHub Actions, and using Azure's free hosting with staging environments. By implementing Lighthouse checks within these staging environments, developers can ensure that any changes made in pull requests do not negatively impact website performance or usability. The process involves creating a custom workflow in GitHub Actions that constructs a preview URL for the static web app, waits for the app to be live, and then runs Lighthouse audits using the lighthouse-ci-action. The results are formatted and added as comments to pull requests, allowing teams to address any detected regressions before merging changes. This setup facilitates a seamless integration of performance monitoring into the development workflow, ensuring high-quality and efficient web applications.