Known limitations

No remote file resolution

The converter reads only the YAML you paste. It does not fetch GitLab `include:` URLs, GitHub `uses:` repositories, CircleCI orb registries, or Bitbucket pipe Docker images. Flatten your config before converting if it depends on remote files.

No JavaScript execution

GitHub Actions written in JavaScript (e.g. `actions/github-script`, custom JS actions) cannot be inspected. The converter emits a stub plus a TODO comment; rewrite the JavaScript by hand on the target.

Affects: GitHub Actions

No Groovy / Jenkinsfile interpretation

Jenkins declarative pipelines with custom shared libraries or Groovy scripting cannot be soundly translated. The converter does not support Jenkins as a source platform — see the roadmap.

Limited expression support

The converter rewrites well-known context variables and predefined operators (==, !=, &&, ||) but does not parse the full expression grammar. Complex expressions involving function calls (toJSON, fromJSON, contains, hashFiles in unusual contexts) are emitted verbatim and flagged for review.

Secrets are name-only

The converter reports every secret name it finds and adds them to the audit checklist, but it cannot transfer secret values between platforms. Recreate every secret on the target platform.

Reusable workflows are flagged for review

`uses: org/repo/.github/workflows/foo.yml@ref` is not auto-flattened. Replace with the equivalent GitLab `include:` / CircleCI `commands` / Bitbucket flattened steps before converting, or accept the manual-review TODO.

Affects: GitLab CI, CircleCI, Bitbucket Pipelines

Composite actions are not flattened

Custom composite actions (`runs.using: composite`) cannot be inlined without fetching their source. The converter emits a TODO with a link to the action.

Affects: GitLab CI, CircleCI, Bitbucket Pipelines

Job permissions don't map directly

GitHub Actions `permissions:` controls GITHUB_TOKEN scopes. Other platforms use distinct mechanisms (GitLab CI/CD job tokens, CircleCI contexts, Bitbucket OIDC providers). The audit log notes which permissions to recreate.

Affects: GitLab CI, CircleCI, Bitbucket Pipelines

Concurrency cancellation is approximate

GitHub `concurrency.group` and `cancel-in-progress` translate to GitLab `interruptible:` / CircleCI workflow cancellation rules, but the cancellation guarantees differ subtly between platforms.

Affects: GitLab CI, CircleCI

YAML anchors and extends:

Anchors are resolved by the YAML parser. `extends:` is not auto-flattened — it is flagged for manual review. Inline templated jobs before converting if you need a clean output.

`include:` is not resolved

Local, project, remote, and template includes are reported as warnings. Flatten the YAML before converting (e.g. `gitlab-ci-local --preview` if you have it installed locally).

Parent-child pipelines

GitLab parent-child / multi-project pipelines (`trigger: include:`) have no equivalent on most platforms. The converter emits a stub on the parent side and a TODO suggesting reusable workflows / dynamic config / the path-filtering orb on the target.

GitLab Pages

The `pages` job has no GitHub Actions / CircleCI / Bitbucket equivalent. The converter emits a stub plus a recommendation (use GitHub Pages, CloudFront, Netlify, etc.).

Affects: GitHub Actions, CircleCI, Bitbucket Pipelines

Custom orbs are not auto-translated

The converter knows about a curated set of orbs (circleci/node, circleci/python, circleci/aws-cli, circleci/docker) and emits equivalent commands. Other orbs are flagged for review.

Dynamic config and continuation

CircleCI dynamic config (the `setup: true` flag plus the continuation orb) cannot be translated since it generates configuration at runtime. Use GitHub reusable workflows / GitLab parent-child pipelines / Bitbucket conditional pipelines to model similar fan-out.

Resource classes

CircleCI `resource_class:` values (`large`, `xlarge`, `arm.large`, etc.) translate to a comment. Pick the appropriate runner / executor on the target platform.

Workflow branch filters with regex

CircleCI accepts regex in `filters.branches.only`. GitHub / GitLab / Bitbucket use glob patterns instead. The converter rewrites simple regex to globs where possible and flags the rest.

Affects: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Bitbucket Pipelines

Schedules live in the UI

Bitbucket schedules are configured in the repository UI and never appear in YAML. The converter cannot infer them; configure schedules manually on the target platform.

Deployment environments require manual setup

`deployment:` annotations require pre-configured environments. The converter notes which environment names to recreate but cannot create them automatically.

Custom pipes are flagged for review

Pipes are Docker images with a YAML wrapper. The converter handles common Atlassian pipes (S3 deploy, CloudFront invalidate, Slack notify, git-secrets-scan); custom pipes are emitted as `docker run` commands plus a TODO.

Maximum 100 steps per pipeline

Bitbucket caps each pipeline at 100 steps. If your source workflow is larger, split it across multiple Bitbucket pipelines (one per branch / trigger) or refactor into custom pipelines.

Affects: Bitbucket Pipelines