Link Check Report Procedure

Background

The link-check.yml workflow is used to check links in markdown documents.

What triggers link checking?

The link checking is triggered by a cronjob scheduled GitHub Action workflow. As currently configured, the job runs every day at 0800 UTC (0400 EST).

Checklist

1. Search the usnistgov/OSCAL repo for open issues with the title "Scheduled Check of Markdown Documents..."
2. For one or more of issues from step 1 you choose, assign yourself as the developer reviewing it. During your review and after it is closed, it lets team members know to reach out to the assigned developer if they have question about implications as it is being worked or historically to understand past work.
3. Check the github-action comment like so for the results:
   • links with a ✓ indicates that no issue was found,
   • links with a ✖ indicates an error occurred,
   • links with a / indicates a link has been exempted an ignore list, either for Markdown link checking or website URL checking.
4. Check for false positives by opening the links with errors
   • consult the team if the link URL does not work on your workstation or testing elsewhere outside GitHub Actions, make the change to the link, remove the link, or exempt the link in the ignore list as needed, and then close the issue
   • close the issue if the link works and cite that it is a false positive
   • optionally, use GitHub Actions to re-run the job or review a more recent report to confirm the issue is transient or resolved