diff --git a/options/locale/locale_en-US.json b/options/locale/locale_en-US.json
index 587d166caee..cab8162a620 100644
--- a/options/locale/locale_en-US.json
+++ b/options/locale/locale_en-US.json
@@ -3783,6 +3783,9 @@
   "actions.runs.pushed_by": "pushed by",
   "actions.runs.invalid_workflow_helper": "Workflow config file is invalid. Please check your config file: %s",
   "actions.runs.no_matching_online_runner_helper": "No matching online runner with label: %s",
+  "actions.runs.no_runner_online": "No runner is online to pick up this job.",
+  "actions.runs.waiting_for_available_runner": "Waiting for a matching runner to become available.",
+  "actions.runs.waiting_for_dependent_jobs": "Waiting for the following jobs to complete: %s",
   "actions.runs.no_job_without_needs": "The workflow must contain at least one job without dependencies.",
   "actions.runs.no_job": "The workflow must contain at least one job",
   "actions.runs.invalid_reusable_workflow_uses": "Invalid reusable workflow \"uses\": %s",
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/actions/view.go b/routers/web/repo/actions/view.go
index 4c79e83617f..6f55bb1c6a0 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/actions/view.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/actions/view.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"gitea.dev/modules/httplib"
 	"gitea.dev/modules/json"
 	"gitea.dev/modules/log"
+	"gitea.dev/modules/optional"
 	"gitea.dev/modules/storage"
 	api "gitea.dev/modules/structs"
 	"gitea.dev/modules/templates"
@@ -753,6 +754,8 @@ func fillViewRunResponseCurrentJob(ctx *context_module.Context, resp *ViewRespon
 	resp.State.CurrentJob.Detail = current.Status.LocaleString(ctx.Locale)
 	if run.NeedApproval {
 		resp.State.CurrentJob.Detail = ctx.Locale.TrString("actions.need_approval_desc")
+	} else if detail := describePendingJobDetail(ctx, current, jobs); detail != "" {
+		resp.State.CurrentJob.Detail = detail
 	}
 	resp.State.CurrentJob.Steps = make([]*ViewJobStep, 0) // marshal to '[]' instead fo 'null' in json
 	resp.Logs.StepsLog = make([]*ViewStepLog, 0)          // marshal to '[]' instead fo 'null' in json
@@ -767,6 +770,78 @@ func fillViewRunResponseCurrentJob(ctx *context_module.Context, resp *ViewRespon
 	}
 }
 
+// describePendingJobDetail explains why a blocked or waiting job has not started
+// yet, so the user can tell whether it is waiting on its dependencies or on an
+// available runner. It returns an empty string when the job is not pending or the
+// cause can't be determined (the caller keeps the generic status label then).
+func describePendingJobDetail(ctx *context_module.Context, current *actions_model.ActionRunJob, jobs []*actions_model.ActionRunJob) string {
+	switch {
+	case current.Status.IsBlocked():
+		// A blocked job is held back by the jobs listed in its `needs`.
+		if pending := pendingNeeds(current, jobs); len(pending) > 0 {
+			return ctx.Locale.TrString("actions.runs.waiting_for_dependent_jobs", strings.Join(pending, ", "))
+		}
+	case current.Status.IsWaiting():
+		// A waiting job has no runner to pick it up yet. A busy runner is still
+		// "online", so distinguish three cases: no runner online at all, online
+		// runners but none match the labels, and a matching runner that is busy.
+		runners, err := db.Find[actions_model.ActionRunner](ctx, actions_model.FindRunnerOptions{
+			RepoID:        current.RepoID,
+			IsOnline:      optional.Some(true),
+			WithAvailable: true,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error("FindRunners for job %d: %v", current.ID, err)
+			return ""
+		}
+		hasOnlineRunner, hasMatchingRunner := false, false
+		for _, runner := range runners {
+			if runner.IsDisabled {
+				continue
+			}
+			hasOnlineRunner = true
+			if runner.CanMatchLabels(current.RunsOn) {
+				hasMatchingRunner = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		switch {
+		case !hasOnlineRunner:
+			return ctx.Locale.TrString("actions.runs.no_runner_online")
+		case !hasMatchingRunner:
+			return ctx.Locale.TrString("actions.runs.no_matching_online_runner_helper", strings.Join(current.RunsOn, ", "))
+		default:
+			// A matching runner exists but hasn't claimed the job, so it is busy.
+			return ctx.Locale.TrString("actions.runs.waiting_for_available_runner")
+		}
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// pendingNeeds returns the `needs` keys of jobs the given job depends on that
+// have not finished yet, scoped to the same parent job (matrix expansions of a
+// need are all required to be done). Unresolved needs are treated as pending.
+func pendingNeeds(current *actions_model.ActionRunJob, jobs []*actions_model.ActionRunJob) []string {
+	var pending []string
+	for _, need := range current.Needs {
+		found, allDone := false, true
+		for _, job := range jobs {
+			if job.ParentJobID != current.ParentJobID || job.JobID != need {
+				continue
+			}
+			found = true
+			if !job.Status.IsDone() {
+				allDone = false
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !found || !allDone {
+			pending = append(pending, need)
+		}
+	}
+	return pending
+}
+
 func convertToViewModel(ctx context.Context, locale translation.Locale, cursors []LogCursor, task *actions_model.ActionTask) ([]*ViewJobStep, []*ViewStepLog, error) {
 	var viewJobs []*ViewJobStep
 	var logs []*ViewStepLog
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/actions/view_test.go b/routers/web/repo/actions/view_test.go
index 020930eb38c..ac93c8f6122 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/actions/view_test.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/actions/view_test.go
@@ -138,3 +138,48 @@ func TestConvertToViewModelCancellingTaskDoesNotRenderRunningSteps(t *testing.T)
 	}
 	assert.Equal(t, expectedViewJobs, viewJobSteps)
 }
+
+func TestPendingNeeds(t *testing.T) {
+	current := &actions_model.ActionRunJob{JobID: "deploy", Needs: []string{"build", "test"}}
+	jobs := []*actions_model.ActionRunJob{
+		current,
+		{JobID: "build", Status: actions_model.StatusSuccess},
+		{JobID: "test", Status: actions_model.StatusRunning},
+	}
+	// "test" is not done yet, "build" succeeded, so only "test" blocks.
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"test"}, pendingNeeds(current, jobs))
+
+	t.Run("all needs done", func(t *testing.T) {
+		done := []*actions_model.ActionRunJob{
+			current,
+			{JobID: "build", Status: actions_model.StatusSuccess},
+			{JobID: "test", Status: actions_model.StatusSkipped},
+		}
+		assert.Empty(t, pendingNeeds(current, done))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("matrix expansion all required", func(t *testing.T) {
+		matrix := []*actions_model.ActionRunJob{
+			current,
+			{JobID: "build", Status: actions_model.StatusSuccess},
+			{JobID: "build", Status: actions_model.StatusRunning},
+			{JobID: "test", Status: actions_model.StatusSuccess},
+		}
+		assert.Equal(t, []string{"build"}, pendingNeeds(current, matrix))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("unresolved need treated as pending", func(t *testing.T) {
+		missing := []*actions_model.ActionRunJob{current}
+		assert.Equal(t, []string{"build", "test"}, pendingNeeds(current, missing))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("parent job scope", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// a same-named job under a different parent must not satisfy the need
+		scoped := &actions_model.ActionRunJob{JobID: "deploy", Needs: []string{"build"}, ParentJobID: 5}
+		jobs := []*actions_model.ActionRunJob{
+			scoped,
+			{JobID: "build", Status: actions_model.StatusSuccess, ParentJobID: 0},
+		}
+		assert.Equal(t, []string{"build"}, pendingNeeds(scoped, jobs))
+	})
+}