create node pr: Node.js 20 deprecation & DEP0040 warnings logged #10031

Situation

When .github/workflows/create-node-pr.yml is executed to promote an npm release for packaging into Node.js, the following deprecation warnings are logged:

• a Node.js 20 deprecation warning from GitHub Actions and
• a DEP0040 node:punycode module deprecation warning

Logs

https://github.com/npm/cli/actions/runs/35881707767

Node.js 20 is deprecated. The following actions target Node.js 20 but are being forced to run on Node.js 24: actions/checkout@v3. For more information see: https://github.blog/changelog/2025-09-19-deprecation-of-node-20-on-github-actions-runners/

https://github.com/npm/cli/actions/runs/35881707767/job/107251530925

Run actions/checkout@v3
(node:2429) [DEP0040] DeprecationWarning: The `punycode` module is deprecated. Please use a userland alternative instead.
(Use `node --trace-deprecation ...` to show where the warning was created)

Suggestion

Update the template

• actions/checkout@v3 is an outdated release (originally from Mar 2022) which targets usage on node16. It is forced to run under node24.
• actions/checkout@v7 is the current release which targets usage natively on node24

Although this is a simple update, I prefer to leave a PR to the npm team, since I'm not able to test PR creation from the npm/cli repo into the nodejs/node end-to-end.

cc: @reggi