Gitlab Ci Generator

GitLab CI/CD Pipeline Generator

Overview

Generate production-ready GitLab CI/CD pipeline configurations following current best practices, security standards, and naming conventions. All generated resources are automatically validated using the devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator skill to ensure syntax correctness and compliance with best practices.

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Trigger Phrases

Use this skill when the user asks for GitLab CI/CD generation requests such as:

• "Create a .gitlab-ci.yml for..."
• "Build a GitLab pipeline for Node/Python/Java..."
• "Add Docker build and deploy jobs in GitLab CI"
• "Set up GitLab parent-child or multi-project pipelines"
• "Include SAST/dependency scanning templates in GitLab CI"

Execution Model

Follow this deterministic flow in order: 1. Classify request complexity (targeted, lightweight, or full). 2. Load only the required reference tier for that complexity. 3. Output the matching response profile for the selected mode. 4. For complete pipeline generation, start from the closest template and customize. 5. Validate complete pipelines with strict Critical/High gates. 6. Present output with validation status and template/version notes.

If tooling is unavailable, use the documented fallback branch and report it explicitly.

Mode Routing (Quick Decision)

When uncertain on a complete-generation request, route to Full mode.

MANDATORY PRE-GENERATION STEPS

CRITICAL: Before generating any complete GitLab CI/CD pipeline, complete these steps.

Step 1: Classify Complexity (REQUIRED)

When uncertain on a complete-generation request, default to Full mode.

Step 2: Load References by Tier (REQUIRED)

Use an open/read action to load references based on the selected mode.

Targeted mode (review/Q&A/snippet/focused fix):

• Load only directly relevant references/templates for the scoped request.
• Do not enforce Full-generation Tier 1/Tier 2 checklist items.

Tier 1 (Required for complete pipeline generation in Lightweight and Full modes): 1. references/best-practices.md - baseline security, performance, naming 2. references/common-patterns.md - starting pattern selection 3. Matching template from assets/templates/:

• Docker pipelines -> assets/templates/docker-build.yml
• Kubernetes deployments -> assets/templates/kubernetes-deploy.yml
• Multi-project pipelines -> assets/templates/multi-project.yml
• Basic pipelines -> assets/templates/basic-pipeline.yml

Tier 2 (Required for Full mode; optional for Lightweight mode): 1. references/gitlab-ci-reference.md - keyword/syntax edge cases 2. references/security-guidelines.md - security-sensitive controls

Tier 3 (Conditional external docs lookup):

• Use only when local references do not cover requested features or version-specific behavior.
• Follow the lookup flow in "Handling GitLab CI/CD Documentation Lookup."

If a required local reference or template is unavailable:

• Report the exact missing path.
• Continue with available references and mark assumptions explicitly.
• Do not claim production-ready confidence until missing critical inputs are resolved.

Step 3: Confirm Understanding (EXPLICIT OUTPUT REQUIRED)

Lightweight Confirmation Mode

Use for simple requests only.

Required format:

## Reference Analysis Complete (Lightweight)

**Pattern:** [Pattern name] from common-patterns.md
**Template:** [Template file]
**Key standards to enforce:**
- [2-3 concrete standards]

Example:

## Reference Analysis Complete (Lightweight)

**Pattern:** Basic Build-Test-Deploy from common-patterns.md
**Template:** assets/templates/basic-pipeline.yml
**Key standards to enforce:**
- Pin runtime image versions (no `:latest`)
- Add explicit job timeouts
- Use `rules` instead of deprecated `only`/`except`

Full Confirmation Mode

Use for complex or security-sensitive requests.

Required format:

## Reference Analysis Complete (Full)

**Pipeline Pattern Identified:** [Pattern name] from common-patterns.md
- [Brief description of why this pattern fits]

**Best Practices to Apply:**
- [List 3-5 key best practices relevant to this pipeline]

**Security Guidelines:**
- [List security measures to implement]

**Template Foundation:** [Template file name]
- [What will be customized from this template]

Example:

## Reference Analysis Complete (Full)

**Pipeline Pattern Identified:** Docker Build + Kubernetes Deployment from common-patterns.md
- User needs containerized deployment to K8s clusters with staging/production environments

**Best Practices to Apply:**
- Pin all Docker images to specific versions (not `:latest`)
- Use caching for pip dependencies
- Implement DAG optimization with `needs` keyword
- Set explicit timeout on all jobs (15-20 minutes)
- Use `resource_group` for deployment jobs

**Security Guidelines:**
- Use masked CI/CD variables for secrets (KUBE_CONTEXT, registry credentials)
- Include container scanning with Trivy
- Never expose secrets in logs

**Template Foundation:** assets/templates/docker-build.yml + assets/templates/kubernetes-deploy.yml
- Combine Docker build pattern with K8s kubectl deployment
- Add Python-specific test jobs

Skipping confirmation is not allowed for complete pipeline generation.

---

Core Capabilities

1. Generate Basic CI/CD Pipelines

Create complete, production-ready .gitlab-ci.yml files with proper structure, security best practices, and efficient CI/CD patterns.

When to use:

• User requests: "Create a GitLab pipeline for...", "Build a CI/CD pipeline...", "Generate GitLab CI config..."
• Scenarios: CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, build automation, deployment pipelines

Process: 1. Understand the user's requirements (what needs to be automated) 2. Identify stages, jobs, dependencies, and artifacts 3. Use assets/templates/basic-pipeline.yml as structural foundation 4. Reference references/best-practices.md for implementation patterns 5. Reference references/common-patterns.md for standard pipeline patterns 6. Generate the pipeline following these principles:

• Use semantic stage and job names
• Pin Docker images to specific versions (not :latest)
• Implement proper secrets management with masked variables
• Use caching for dependencies to improve performance
• Implement proper artifact handling with expiration
• Use needs keyword for DAG optimization when appropriate
• Add proper error handling with retry and allow_failure
• Use rules instead of deprecated only/except
• Set explicit `timeout` for all jobs (10-30 minutes typically)
• Add meaningful job descriptions in comments

7. ALWAYS validate the generated pipeline using the devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator skill 8. If validation fails, fix the issues and re-validate

Example structure:

# Basic CI/CD Pipeline
# Builds, tests, and deploys the application

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

# Global variables
variables:
  NODE_VERSION: "20"
  DOCKER_DRIVER: overlay2

# Default settings for all jobs
default:
  image: node:20-alpine
  timeout: 20 minutes  # Default timeout for all jobs
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
  before_script:
    - echo "Starting job ${CI_JOB_NAME}"
  tags:
    - docker
  interruptible: true

# Build stage - Compiles the application
build-application:
  stage: build
  timeout: 15 minutes
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/
    expire_in: 1 hour
  rules:
    - changes:
        - src/**/*
        - package*.json
      when: always
    - when: on_success

# Test stage
test-unit:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-application]
  script:
    - npm run test:unit
  coverage: '/Coverage: \d+\.\d+%/'
  artifacts:
    reports:
      junit: junit.xml
      coverage_report:
        coverage_format: cobertura
        path: coverage/cobertura-coverage.xml

test-lint:
  stage: test
  needs: []  # Can run immediately
  script:
    - npm run lint
  allow_failure: true

# Deploy stage
deploy-staging:
  stage: deploy
  needs: [build-application, test-unit]
  script:
    - npm run deploy:staging
  environment:
    name: staging
    url: https://staging.example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "develop"
  when: manual

deploy-production:
  stage: deploy
  needs: [build-application, test-unit]
  script:
    - npm run deploy:production
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
  when: manual
  resource_group: production

2. Generate Docker Build Pipelines

Create pipelines for building, testing, and pushing Docker images to container registries.

When to use:

• User requests: "Create a Docker build pipeline...", "Build and push Docker images..."
• Scenarios: Container builds, multi-stage Docker builds, registry pushes

Process: 1. Understand the Docker build requirements (base images, registries, tags) 2. Use assets/templates/docker-build.yml as foundation 3. Implement Docker-in-Docker or Kaniko for builds 4. Configure registry authentication 5. Implement image tagging strategy 6. Add security scanning if needed 7. ALWAYS validate using devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator skill

Example:

stages:
  - build
  - scan
  - push

variables:
  DOCKER_DRIVER: overlay2
  IMAGE_NAME: $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE
  IMAGE_TAG: $CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA

# Build Docker image
docker-build:
  stage: build
  image: docker:24-dind
  timeout: 20 minutes
  services:
    - docker:24-dind
  before_script:
    - docker login -u $CI_REGISTRY_USER -p $CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD $CI_REGISTRY
  script:
    - docker build
        --cache-from $IMAGE_NAME:latest
        --tag $IMAGE_NAME:$IMAGE_TAG
        --tag $IMAGE_NAME:latest
        .
    - docker push $IMAGE_NAME:$IMAGE_TAG
    - docker push $IMAGE_NAME:latest
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
  retry:
    max: 2
    when:
      - runner_system_failure

# Scan for vulnerabilities
container-scan:
  stage: scan
  image: aquasec/trivy:0.49.0
  timeout: 15 minutes
  script:
    - trivy image --exit-code 0 --severity HIGH,CRITICAL $IMAGE_NAME:$IMAGE_TAG
  needs: [docker-build]
  allow_failure: true
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH

3. Generate Kubernetes Deployment Pipelines

Create pipelines that deploy applications to Kubernetes clusters.

When to use:

• User requests: "Deploy to Kubernetes...", "Create K8s deployment pipeline..."
• Scenarios: Kubernetes deployments, Helm deployments, kubectl operations

Process: 1. Identify the Kubernetes deployment method (kubectl, Helm, Kustomize) 2. Use assets/templates/kubernetes-deploy.yml as foundation 3. Configure cluster authentication (service accounts, kubeconfig) 4. Implement proper environment management 5. Add rollback capabilities 6. ALWAYS validate using devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator skill

Example:

stages:
  - build
  - deploy

# Kubernetes deployment job
deploy-k8s:
  stage: deploy
  image: bitnami/kubectl:1.29
  timeout: 10 minutes
  before_script:
    - kubectl config use-context $KUBE_CONTEXT
  script:
    - kubectl set image deployment/myapp myapp=$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA -n $KUBE_NAMESPACE
    - kubectl rollout status deployment/myapp -n $KUBE_NAMESPACE --timeout=5m
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://example.com
    kubernetes:
      namespace: production
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
      when: manual
  resource_group: k8s-production
  retry:
    max: 2
    when:
      - runner_system_failure

4. Generate Multi-Project Pipelines

Create pipelines that trigger other projects or use parent-child pipeline patterns.

When to use:

• User requests: "Create multi-project pipeline...", "Trigger other pipelines..."
• Scenarios: Monorepos, microservices, orchestration pipelines

Process: 1. Identify the pipeline orchestration needs 2. Use assets/templates/multi-project.yml or parent-child templates 3. Configure proper artifact passing 4. Implement parallel execution where appropriate 5. ALWAYS validate using devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator skill

Example (Parent-Child):

# Parent pipeline
stages:
  - trigger

generate-child-pipeline:
  stage: trigger
  script:
    - echo "Generating child pipeline config"
    - |
      cat > child-pipeline.yml <<EOF
      stages:
        - build

      child-job:
        stage: build
        script:
          - echo "Running child job"
      EOF
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - child-pipeline.yml

trigger-child:
  stage: trigger
  trigger:
    include:
      - artifact: child-pipeline.yml
        job: generate-child-pipeline
    strategy: depend
  needs: [generate-child-pipeline]

5. Generate Template-Based Configurations

Create reusable templates using extends, YAML anchors, and includes.

When to use:

• User requests: "Create reusable templates...", "Build modular pipeline config..."
• Scenarios: Template libraries, DRY configurations, shared CI/CD logic

Process: 1. Identify common patterns to extract 2. Create hidden jobs (prefixed with .) 3. Use extends keyword for inheritance 4. Organize into separate files with include 5. ALWAYS validate using devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator skill

Example:

# Hidden template jobs (include timeout in templates)
.node-template:
  image: node:20-alpine
  timeout: 15 minutes  # Default timeout for jobs using this template
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
  before_script:
    - npm ci
  interruptible: true

.deploy-template:
  timeout: 10 minutes  # Deploy jobs should have explicit timeout
  before_script:
    - echo "Deploying to ${ENVIRONMENT}"
  after_script:
    - echo "Deployment complete"
  retry:
    max: 2
    when:
      - runner_system_failure
      - stuck_or_timeout_failure
  interruptible: false  # Deploys should not be interrupted

# Actual jobs using templates
build:
  extends: .node-template
  stage: build
  script:
    - npm run build

deploy-staging:
  extends: .deploy-template
  stage: deploy
  variables:
    ENVIRONMENT: staging
  script:
    - ./deploy.sh staging
  resource_group: staging

6. Handling GitLab CI/CD Documentation Lookup

Use this flow only when local references do not cover requested features or version-sensitive behavior.

Detection:

• User mentions specific GitLab features (e.g., "Auto DevOps", "SAST", "dependency scanning")
• User requests integration with GitLab templates
• Pipeline requires specific GitLab runner features

Process:

1. Identify the feature:

• Extract the GitLab feature or template name
• Determine if version-specific information is needed

2. Check local references first (Tier 1/Tier 2):

• references/common-patterns.md
• references/gitlab-ci-reference.md
• references/security-guidelines.md

3. Use Context7 first when external lookup is needed:

• Resolve library: mcp__context7__resolve-library-id
• Query docs: mcp__context7__query-docs
• Prefer GitLab official/library docs over secondary sources

4. Fallback to web search when Context7 is unavailable or insufficient:

• Use web.search_query
• Query pattern: "GitLab CI/CD [feature] documentation"
• Prefer results from docs.gitlab.com

5. Open and extract from specific docs pages when needed:

• Use web.open for selected documentation pages
• Capture required syntax, variables, and version constraints

6. Analyze discovered documentation for:

• Current recommended approach
• Required variables and configuration
• Template include syntax
• Best practices and security recommendations
• Example usage

7. If network tools are unavailable (offline/constrained environment):

• Continue using local references only
• State that external version verification could not be performed
• Add a version-assumption note in the final output

8. Generate pipeline using discovered information:

• Use correct template include syntax
• Configure required variables
• Add security best practices
• Include comments about versions and choices

Example with GitLab templates:

# Include GitLab's security templates (use Jobs/ prefix for current templates)
include:
  - template: Jobs/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml
  - template: Jobs/Dependency-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml

# Customize SAST behavior via global variables
# Note: Set variables globally rather than overriding template jobs
# to avoid validation issues with partial job definitions
variables:
  SAST_EXCLUDED_PATHS: "spec, test, tests, tmp, node_modules"
  DS_EXCLUDED_PATHS: "node_modules, vendor"
  SECURE_LOG_LEVEL: "info"

Important: When using include with GitLab templates, the included jobs are

fully defined in the template. If you need to customize them, prefer setting

variables globally rather than creating partial job overrides (which will fail

local validation because the validator cannot resolve the included template).

GitLab merges the configuration at runtime, but local validators only see

your .gitlab-ci.yml file.

Validation Workflow

CRITICAL: Every generated GitLab CI/CD configuration MUST be validated before presenting to the user.

Validation Process

1. Primary validation path: after generating a complete pipeline, invoke the devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator skill:

   Skill: devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator

2. Script fallback path (if validator skill cannot be invoked):

   PIPELINE_FILE="<generated-output-path>"

• Set PIPELINE_FILE to the exact generated file path (for example, pipelines/review.yml or .gitlab-ci.yml).
• Fail fast if that file does not exist:

     if [[ ! -f "$PIPELINE_FILE" ]]; then
       echo "ERROR: CI file not found: $PIPELINE_FILE" >&2
       exit 1
     fi

   # From repository root
   bash devops-skills-plugin/skills/gitlab-ci-validator/scripts/validate_gitlab_ci.sh "$PIPELINE_FILE"

   # From skills/gitlab-ci-generator directory
   bash ../gitlab-ci-validator/scripts/validate_gitlab_ci.sh "$PIPELINE_FILE"

• If the script is not executable:

     chmod +x devops-skills-plugin/skills/gitlab-ci-validator/scripts/validate_gitlab_ci.sh

• Optional API lint fallback when GitLab project context is available:

     jq --null-input --arg yaml "$(<"$PIPELINE_FILE")" '.content=$yaml' \
     | curl --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
       --url "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/:id/ci/lint?include_merged_yaml=true" \
       --data @-

3. Manual fallback path (only if both primary and script paths are unavailable):

• Run manual checks for YAML validity, stage/job references, and obvious secret exposure.
• Mark output as Validation status: Manual fallback (not fully verified).
• Do not claim production-ready status if Critical/High risk cannot be confidently ruled out.

4. The validator skill/script checks:

• Validate YAML syntax
• Check GitLab CI/CD schema compliance
• Verify job references and dependencies
• Check for best practices violations
• Perform security scanning
• Report any errors, warnings, or issues

5. Analyze validation results and take action based on severity:

6. Fix-and-Revalidate Loop (MANDATORY for Critical/High issues):

   While validation has CRITICAL or HIGH issues:
     1. Edit the generated file to fix the issue
     2. Re-run validation
     3. Repeat until no CRITICAL or HIGH issues remain

7. Before presenting to user, ensure:

• Zero CRITICAL issues
• Zero HIGH issues
• MEDIUM issues either fixed OR explained why they're acceptable
• LOW issues and suggestions acknowledged

8. When presenting the validated configuration:

• State validation status clearly
• State validation path used (skill, script fallback, or manual fallback)
• List any remaining MEDIUM/LOW issues with explanations
• Include template/version freshness notes
• Provide usage instructions
• Mention any trade-offs made

Critical/High gate is strict and never optional for production-ready claims.

Validation Pass Criteria

Pipeline is READY to present when:

• ✅ Validation path executed (validator skill or script fallback)
• ✅ Syntax validation: PASSED
• ✅ Security scan: No CRITICAL or HIGH issues
• ✅ Best practices: Reviewed (warnings acceptable with explanation)

Pipeline is NOT READY when:

• ❌ Any syntax errors exist
• ❌ Any CRITICAL security issues exist
• ❌ Any HIGH security issues exist
• ❌ Job references are broken
• ❌ Only manual fallback was used and Critical/High risks cannot be ruled out

When to Skip Validation

Only skip validation when:

• Generating partial code snippets (not complete files)
• Creating examples for documentation purposes
• User explicitly requests to skip validation

Handling MEDIUM Severity Issues (REQUIRED OUTPUT)

When the validator reports MEDIUM severity issues, you MUST either fix them OR explain why they're acceptable. This explanation is REQUIRED in your output.

Required format for MEDIUM issue handling:

## Validation Issues Addressed

### MEDIUM Severity Issues

| Issue | Status | Explanation |
|-------|--------|-------------|
| [Issue code] | Fixed/Acceptable | [Why it was fixed OR why it's acceptable] |

Example MEDIUM issue explanations:

## Validation Issues Addressed

### MEDIUM Severity Issues

| Issue | Status | Explanation |
|-------|--------|-------------|
| `image-variable-no-digest` | Acceptable | Using `python:${PYTHON_VERSION}-alpine` allows flexible version management via CI/CD variables. The PYTHON_VERSION variable is controlled internally and pinned to "3.12". SHA digest pinning would require updating the digest with every image update, adding maintenance burden without significant security benefit for this use case. |
| `pip-without-hashes` | Acceptable | This pipeline installs well-known packages (pytest, flake8) from PyPI. Using `--require-hashes` would require maintaining hash files for all transitive dependencies. For internal CI/CD, the security trade-off is acceptable. For higher security environments, consider using a private PyPI mirror with verified packages. |
| `git-strategy-none` | Acceptable | The `stop-staging` and `rollback-production` jobs use `GIT_STRATEGY: none` because they only run kubectl commands that don't require source code. The scripts are inline in the YAML (not from the repo), so there's no risk of executing untrusted code. |

When to FIX vs ACCEPT:

Reviewing Suggestions (REQUIRED OUTPUT)

When the validator provides suggestions, you MUST briefly acknowledge them and explain whether they should be applied.

Required format:

## Validator Suggestions Review

| Suggestion | Recommendation | Reason |
|------------|----------------|--------|
| [suggestion] | Apply/Skip | [Why] |

Example suggestions review:

## Validator Suggestions Review

| Suggestion | Recommendation | Reason |
|------------|----------------|--------|
| `missing-retry` on test jobs | Skip | Test jobs are deterministic and don't interact with external services. Retry would mask flaky tests rather than fail fast. |
| `parallel-opportunity` for test-unit | Apply if beneficial | Could be added if pytest supports sharding. Add `parallel: 3` with `pytest --shard=${CI_NODE_INDEX}/${CI_NODE_TOTAL}` if test suite is large enough to benefit. |
| `dag-optimization` for stop-staging | Skip | This job is manual and only runs on environment cleanup. DAG optimization wouldn't provide meaningful speedup. |
| `no-dependency-proxy` | Apply for production | Consider using `$CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_GROUP_IMAGE_PREFIX` to avoid Docker Hub rate limits. Requires GitLab Premium. |
| `environment-no-url` for rollback | Skip | Rollback jobs don't deploy new versions, so a URL would be misleading. |
| `missing-coverage` for lint job | Skip | Linting doesn't produce coverage data. This is a false positive. |

Template and Version Notes (REQUIRED OUTPUT)

After validation results, include a concise freshness note for templates and documentation assumptions.

Required format:

## Template and Version Notes

- **Template base:** [assets/templates/<file>.yml]
- **Template customization scope:** [what changed from template]
- **Version/doc basis:** [Context7, docs.gitlab.com, or local references only]
- **Freshness note:** [exact date checked, or "external lookup unavailable"]
- **Version-sensitive assumptions:** [if any]

Example:

## Template and Version Notes

- **Template base:** assets/templates/docker-build.yml
- **Template customization scope:** Added unit-test stage and environment-specific deploy rules
- **Version/doc basis:** docs.gitlab.com include-template docs + local references
- **Freshness note:** Verified template syntax on 2026-02-28
- **Version-sensitive assumptions:** Uses `Jobs/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml` template path

Usage Instructions Template (REQUIRED OUTPUT)

After presenting the validated pipeline, you MUST provide usage instructions. This is NOT optional.

Required format:

## Usage Instructions

### Required CI/CD Variables

Configure these variables in **Settings → CI/CD → Variables**:

| Variable | Description | Masked | Protected |
|----------|-------------|--------|-----------|
| [VARIABLE_NAME] | [Description] | Yes/No | Yes/No |

### Setup Steps

1. [First setup step]
2. [Second setup step]
...

### Pipeline Behavior

- **On push to `develop`:** [What happens]
- **On push to `main`:** [What happens]
- **On tag `vX.Y.Z`:** [What happens]

### Customization

[Any customization notes]

Example usage instructions:

## Usage Instructions

### Required CI/CD Variables

Configure these variables in **Settings → CI/CD → Variables**:

| Variable | Description | Masked | Protected |
|----------|-------------|--------|-----------|
| `KUBE_CONTEXT` | Kubernetes cluster context name | No | Yes |
| `KUBE_NAMESPACE_STAGING` | Staging namespace (default: staging) | No | No |
| `KUBE_NAMESPACE_PRODUCTION` | Production namespace (default: production) | No | Yes |

**Note:** `CI_REGISTRY_USER`, `CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD`, and `CI_REGISTRY` are automatically provided by GitLab.

### Kubernetes Integration Setup

1. **Enable Kubernetes integration** in **Settings → Infrastructure → Kubernetes clusters**
2. **Add your cluster** using the agent-based or certificate-based method
3. **Create namespaces** for staging and production if they don't exist:

kubectl create namespace staging kubectl create namespace production

4. **Ensure deployment exists** in the target namespaces before running the pipeline

### Pipeline Behavior

- **On push to `develop`:** Runs tests → builds Docker image → deploys to staging automatically
- **On push to `main`:** Runs tests → builds Docker image → manual deployment to production
- **On tag `vX.Y.Z`:** Runs tests → builds Docker image → manual deployment to production

### Customization

- Update `APP_NAME` variable to match your Kubernetes deployment name
- Modify environment URLs in `deploy-staging` and `deploy-production` jobs
- Add Helm deployment by uncommenting the Helm jobs in the template

Best Practices to Enforce

Reference references/best-practices.md for comprehensive guidelines. Key principles:

Mandatory Standards

1. Security First:

• Pin Docker images to specific versions (not :latest)
• Use masked variables for secrets ($CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD should be masked)
• Never expose secrets in logs
• Validate inputs and sanitize variables
• Use protected variables for sensitive environments

2. Performance:

• Implement caching for dependencies (ALWAYS for npm, pip, maven, etc.)
• Use needs keyword for DAG optimization (ALWAYS when jobs have dependencies)
• Set artifact expiration to avoid storage bloat (ALWAYS set expire_in)
• Use parallel execution when applicable (only if test framework supports sharding)
• Minimize unnecessary artifact passing (use artifacts: false in needs when not needed)

3. Reliability:

• Set explicit `timeout` for ALL jobs (prevents hanging jobs, typically 10-30 minutes)
• Even when using default or extends for timeout inheritance, add explicit timeout to each job
• This improves readability and avoids validator warnings about missing timeout
• Example: A job using .deploy-template should still have timeout: 15 minutes explicitly set
• Add retry logic for flaky operations (network calls, external API interactions)
• Use allow_failure appropriately for non-critical jobs (linting, optional scans)
• Use resource_group for deployment jobs (prevents concurrent deployments)
• Add interruptible: true for test jobs (allows cancellation when new commits push)

4. Naming:

• Job names: Descriptive, kebab-case (e.g., "build-application", "test-unit")
• Stage names: Short, clear (e.g., "build", "test", "deploy")
• Variable names: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE for environment variables
• Environment names: lowercase (e.g., "production", "staging")

5. Configuration Organization:

• Use extends for reusable configuration (PREFERRED over YAML anchors for GitLab CI)
• Use include for modular pipeline files (organize large pipelines into multiple files)
• Use rules instead of deprecated only/except (ALWAYS)
• Define default settings for common configurations (image, timeout, cache, tags)
• Use YAML anchors only when necessary for complex repeated structures within a single file
• Note: extends is preferred because it provides better visualization in GitLab UI

6. Error Handling:

• Set appropriate timeout values (ALWAYS - prevents hanging jobs)
• Configure retry behavior for flaky operations (network calls, external APIs)
• Use allow_failure: true for non-blocking jobs (linting, optional scans)
• Add cleanup steps with after_script when needed (e.g., stopping test containers, cleanup)
• Implement notification mechanisms when required (e.g., Slack integration for deployment failures)

Resources

References (Tiered Loading)

• references/best-practices.md (Tier 1: required for all) - Comprehensive GitLab CI/CD best practices
• Security patterns, performance optimization
• Pipeline design, configuration organization
• Common patterns and anti-patterns
• Use this: When implementing any GitLab CI/CD resource

• references/common-patterns.md (Tier 1: required for all) - Frequently used pipeline patterns
• Basic CI pipeline patterns
• Docker build and push patterns
• Deployment patterns (K8s, cloud platforms)
• Multi-project and parent-child patterns
• Use this: When selecting which pattern to use

• references/gitlab-ci-reference.md (Tier 2: required for Full mode) - GitLab CI/CD YAML syntax reference
• Complete keyword reference
• Job configuration options
• Rules and conditional execution
• Variables and environments
• Use this: For syntax and keyword details

• references/security-guidelines.md (Tier 2: required for Full mode) - Security best practices
• Secrets management
• Image security
• Script security
• Artifact security
• Use this: For security-sensitive configurations

Assets (Templates to Customize)

• assets/templates/basic-pipeline.yml - Complete basic pipeline template
• assets/templates/docker-build.yml - Docker build pipeline template
• assets/templates/kubernetes-deploy.yml - Kubernetes deployment template
• assets/templates/multi-project.yml - Multi-project orchestration template

How to use templates: 1. Copy the relevant template structure 2. Replace all [PLACEHOLDERS] with actual values 3. Customize logic based on user requirements 4. Remove unnecessary sections 5. Validate the result

Typical Workflow Example

User request: "Create a CI/CD pipeline for a Node.js app with testing and Docker deployment"

Process: 1. ✅ Understand requirements:

• Node.js application
• Run tests (unit, lint)
• Build Docker image
• Deploy to container registry
• Trigger on push and merge requests

2. ✅ Reference resources:

• Check references/best-practices.md for pipeline structure
• Check references/common-patterns.md for Node.js + Docker pattern
• Use assets/templates/docker-build.yml as base

3. ✅ Generate pipeline:

• Define stages (build, test, dockerize, deploy)
• Create build job with caching
• Create test jobs (unit, lint) with needs optimization
• Create Docker build job
• Add proper artifact management
• Pin Docker images to versions
• Include proper secrets handling

4. ✅ Validate:

• Invoke devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator skill
• Fix any reported issues
• Re-validate if needed

5. ✅ Present to user:

• Show validated pipeline
• Explain key sections
• Provide usage instructions
• Mention successful validation

Common Pipeline Patterns

Basic Three-Stage Pipeline

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

build-job:
  stage: build
  script: make build

test-job:
  stage: test
  script: make test

deploy-job:
  stage: deploy
  script: make deploy
  when: manual

DAG Pipeline with Needs

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

build-frontend:
  stage: build
  script: npm run build:frontend

build-backend:
  stage: build
  script: npm run build:backend

test-frontend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-frontend]
  script: npm test:frontend

test-backend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-backend]
  script: npm test:backend

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  needs: [test-frontend, test-backend]
  script: make deploy

Conditional Execution with Rules

deploy-staging:
  script: deploy staging
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "develop"
      when: always
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"
      when: manual

deploy-production:
  script: deploy production
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
      when: manual
    - when: never

Matrix Parallel Jobs

test:
  parallel:
    matrix:
      - NODE_VERSION: ['18', '20', '22']
        OS: ['ubuntu', 'alpine']
  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-${OS}
  script:
    - npm test

Error Messages and Troubleshooting

If devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator reports errors:

1. Syntax errors: Fix YAML formatting, indentation, or structure 2. Job reference errors: Ensure referenced jobs exist in needs/dependencies 3. Stage errors: Verify all job stages are defined in stages list 4. Rule errors: Check rules syntax and variable references 5. Security warnings: Address hardcoded secrets and image pinning

If GitLab documentation is not found:

1. Try Context7 first: mcp__context7__resolve-library-id -> mcp__context7__query-docs 2. If needed, run web.search_query scoped to docs.gitlab.com 3. Open specific pages with web.open and extract only required syntax/variables 4. If offline, continue with local references and add version-assumption notes

---

PRE-DELIVERY CHECKLIST

MANDATORY: Before presenting ANY generated pipeline to the user, verify ALL items:

Mode and References

• [ ] Complexity mode selected (Targeted, Lightweight, or Full)
• [ ] For Targeted mode: only directly relevant files/references loaded
• [ ] For Lightweight/Full modes: read references/best-practices.md before generating
• [ ] For Lightweight/Full modes: read references/common-patterns.md before generating
• [ ] For Lightweight/Full modes: read appropriate template from assets/templates/ for the pipeline type
• [ ] For Full mode: read references/gitlab-ci-reference.md
• [ ] For Full mode: read references/security-guidelines.md
• [ ] Output explicit confirmation statement for Lightweight/Full modes

Generation Standards Applied

• [ ] All Docker images pinned to specific versions (no :latest)
• [ ] All jobs have explicit timeout (10-30 minutes typically)
• [ ] default block includes timeout if defined
• [ ] Hidden templates (.template-name) include timeout
• [ ] Caching configured for dependency installation
• [ ] needs keyword used for DAG optimization where appropriate
• [ ] rules used (not deprecated only/except)
• [ ] resource_group configured for deployment jobs
• [ ] Artifacts have expire_in set
• [ ] Secrets use masked CI/CD variables (not hardcoded)

Validation Completed

• [ ] Validation executed via devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator or script fallback
• [ ] Zero CRITICAL issues
• [ ] Zero HIGH issues
• [ ] MEDIUM issues addressed (fixed OR explained in output using required format)
• [ ] LOW issues acknowledged (listed in output)
• [ ] Suggestions reviewed (using required format)
• [ ] Re-validated after any fixes
• [ ] If only manual fallback was available: output marked as not fully verified

Presentation Ready

• [ ] Validation status stated clearly
• [ ] Validation path stated clearly (skill, script fallback, or manual fallback)
• [ ] MEDIUM/LOW issues explained (with table format)
• [ ] Suggestions review provided (with table format)
• [ ] Template and version notes provided (with required format)
• [ ] Usage instructions provided (with required sections)
• [ ] Key sections explained

If any checkbox is unchecked, DO NOT present the pipeline. Complete the missing steps first.

Required Output Sections

Use the smallest valid output profile for the selected mode.

Full mode (complete/complex pipeline): 1. Reference Analysis Complete (from Step 3) 2. Generated Pipeline (the .gitlab-ci.yml content) 3. Validation Results Summary (pass/fail status) 4. Validation Issues Addressed (MEDIUM issues table) 5. Validator Suggestions Review (suggestions table) 6. Template and Version Notes (template base + freshness/version assumptions) 7. Usage Instructions (variables, setup, behavior)

Lightweight mode (complete/simple pipeline): 1. Reference Analysis Complete (Lightweight) 2. Generated Pipeline 3. Validation Results Summary 4. Template and Version Notes 5. Usage Instructions

• Add Validation Issues Addressed only when MEDIUM issues exist.
• Add Validator Suggestions Review only when suggestions are present.

Targeted mode (review/Q&A/snippet/focused fix):

• Provide only the directly requested artifact/answer and a concise rationale.
• Include validation/fallback disclosure if validation was not run.
• Do not force full pipeline-generation sections.

Done Criteria

This skill execution is done when:

• Simple requests use Lightweight mode without unnecessary Tier 2 loading.
• Complex requests use Full mode with Tier 2 references and complete confirmation.
• Validation enforces strict Critical/High gates before production-ready claims.
• Output includes template/version freshness notes plus usage instructions.
• Any fallback path is explicit and does not hide verification gaps.

---

Summary

Always follow this sequence when generating GitLab CI/CD pipelines:

1. Classify Complexity - choose Targeted, Lightweight, or Full mode. 2. Load References - use tiered loading:

• For Targeted mode, load only directly relevant files.
• For Lightweight/Full modes, load:
• references/best-practices.md
• references/common-patterns.md
• Plus the appropriate template from assets/templates/
• For Full mode, also load:
• references/gitlab-ci-reference.md
• references/security-guidelines.md

3. Confirm - Output targeted response or Lightweight/Full reference analysis as required by mode. 4. Generate - Use templates and follow standards (security, caching, naming, explicit timeout on ALL jobs). 5. Lookup Docs When Needed - Context7 first, then web.search_query/web.open, with offline fallback notes when constrained. 6. Validate - Use devops-skills:gitlab-ci-validator, script fallback if needed. 7. Fix - Resolve all Critical/High issues, address Medium issues. 8. Verify Checklist - Confirm all pre-delivery checklist items. 9. Present - Deliver output with validation summary, template/version notes, and usage instructions.

Generate GitLab CI/CD pipelines that are:

• ✅ Secure with pinned images and proper secrets handling
• ✅ Following current best practices and conventions
• ✅ Using proper configuration organization (extends, includes)
• ✅ Optimized for performance (caching, needs, DAG)
• ✅ Properly documented with usage instructions
• ✅ Validated with zero Critical/High issues
• ✅ Production-ready and maintainable

GitLab CI/CD Best Practices

This document outlines comprehensive best practices for creating production-ready, secure, and efficient GitLab CI/CD pipelines.

Table of Contents

1. Security Best Practices 2. Performance Optimization 3. Configuration Organization 4. Reliability and Error Handling 5. Naming Conventions 6. Pipeline Architecture 7. Common Anti-Patterns

---

Security Best Practices

1. Docker Image Pinning

Always pin Docker images to specific versions to ensure reproducibility and security.

# ❌ BAD: Using :latest tag
test-job:
  image: node:latest
  script: npm test

# ✅ GOOD: Pinned to specific version
test-job:
  image: node:20.11-alpine3.19
  script: npm test

Best practices:

• Pin to major.minor.patch versions
• Use official images from trusted registries
• Regularly update pinned versions
• Document why specific versions are chosen

2. Secrets and Variables Management

Never hardcode secrets in your .gitlab-ci.yml file. Use GitLab CI/CD variables instead.

# ❌ BAD: Hardcoded credentials
deploy:
  script:
    - deploy --token abc123xyz

# ✅ GOOD: Using masked variables
deploy:
  script:
    - deploy --token $DEPLOY_TOKEN

Best practices:

• Mark sensitive variables as Masked and Protected
• Use project/group CI/CD variables for secrets
• Rotate secrets regularly
• Use $CI_JOB_TOKEN for GitLab API operations
• Limit variable scope to specific environments

3. Artifact Security

Be careful with artifact paths to avoid exposing sensitive files.

# ❌ BAD: Overly broad artifact paths
build:
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - ./**  # Exposes everything including .env files

# ✅ GOOD: Specific artifact paths
build:
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/
      - build/
    exclude:
      - "**/*.env"
      - "**/*.pem"
      - "**/credentials.*"
    expire_in: 1 hour

Best practices:

• Be explicit about artifact paths
• Use exclude to prevent sensitive files
• Set appropriate expiration times
• Use artifacts:reports for test/coverage reports
• Don't include node_modules or vendor directories

4. Script Security

Avoid dangerous script patterns that can introduce security vulnerabilities.

# ❌ BAD: Dangerous patterns
install:
  script:
    - curl https://install.sh | bash  # Pipe to bash
    - eval "$COMMAND"  # Code injection risk
    - chmod 777 /app  # Overly permissive

# ✅ GOOD: Secure patterns
install:
  script:
    - curl -o install.sh https://install.sh
    - sha256sum -c install.sh.sha256  # Verify integrity
    - bash install.sh

Best practices:

• Never pipe curl directly to bash
• Validate downloaded scripts
• Use minimal file permissions
• Sanitize user inputs
• Avoid eval and similar dynamic execution

5. Protected Branches and Environments

Configure protected branches and environments for critical deployments.

deploy-production:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - deploy production
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main" && $CI_COMMIT_TAG == null
  when: manual
  resource_group: production

Best practices:

• Require manual approval for production deployments
• Use protected environments
• Restrict who can deploy to production
• Use resource_group to prevent concurrent deployments
• Implement approval rules in GitLab

---

Performance Optimization

1. Caching Strategies

Use cache to speed up repeated operations like dependency installation.

# ✅ GOOD: Comprehensive caching
variables:
  CACHE_VERSION: "v1"  # Bump to invalidate cache

default:
  cache:
    key: ${CACHE_VERSION}-${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
      - .npm/
    policy: pull

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run build
  cache:
    key: ${CACHE_VERSION}-${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
      - .npm/
    policy: pull-push  # Push after installing

test:
  stage: test
  script:
    - npm test
  cache:
    key: ${CACHE_VERSION}-${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
    policy: pull  # Only pull, don't push

Cache best practices:

• Use appropriate cache keys (branch, commit, files)
• Set policy: pull for jobs that only read cache
• Set policy: pull-push for jobs that update cache
• Cache language-specific directories (node_modules/, vendor/, .gradle/)
• Use CACHE_VERSION variable for cache invalidation
• Don't cache build artifacts (use artifacts instead)

2. DAG Optimization with needs

Use the `needs` keyword to create Directed Acyclic Graphs for faster pipelines.

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

# Without needs: runs sequentially (slow)
build-frontend:
  stage: build
  script: build frontend

build-backend:
  stage: build
  script: build backend

test-frontend:
  stage: test
  script: test frontend

test-backend:
  stage: test
  script: test backend

# ✅ With needs: runs in parallel (fast)
build-frontend:
  stage: build
  script: build frontend

build-backend:
  stage: build
  script: build backend

test-frontend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-frontend]  # Can start as soon as build-frontend finishes
  script: test frontend

test-backend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-backend]  # Can start as soon as build-backend finishes
  script: test backend

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  needs: [test-frontend, test-backend]  # Only depends on tests
  script: deploy

Benefits:

• Pipelines run faster by parallelizing independent jobs
• Reduces waiting time between stages
• Clear dependency visualization

3. Parallel Execution

Use parallel jobs for matrix testing or splitting workloads.

# Parallel with matrix
test:
  parallel:
    matrix:
      - NODE_VERSION: ['18', '20', '22']
        OS: ['ubuntu', 'alpine']
  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-${OS}
  script:
    - npm test

# Parallel with index
test-split:
  parallel: 4
  script:
    - npm test -- --shard=${CI_NODE_INDEX}/${CI_NODE_TOTAL}

4. Artifact Optimization

Minimize artifact size and set appropriate expiration.

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/
    exclude:
      - dist/**/*.map  # Exclude source maps if not needed
    expire_in: 1 hour  # Short expiration for intermediate artifacts

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  needs: [build]
  script:
    - deploy dist/

Best practices:

• Set short expiration for intermediate artifacts (1 hour - 1 day)
• Set longer expiration for release artifacts (1 week - 1 month)
• Use artifacts:reports for test/coverage reports
• Exclude unnecessary files
• Compress large artifacts

---

Configuration Organization

1. Using extends for Reusability

Use `extends` to reduce duplication and create maintainable configurations.

# Hidden template jobs (prefixed with .)
.node-base:
  image: node:20-alpine
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
  before_script:
    - npm ci

.deploy-base:
  before_script:
    - echo "Deploying to ${ENVIRONMENT}"
  retry:
    max: 2
    when:
      - runner_system_failure
  resource_group: ${ENVIRONMENT}

# Actual jobs extending templates
build:
  extends: .node-base
  stage: build
  script:
    - npm run build

test:
  extends: .node-base
  stage: test
  script:
    - npm test

deploy-staging:
  extends: .deploy-base
  stage: deploy
  variables:
    ENVIRONMENT: staging
  script:
    - ./deploy.sh staging

deploy-production:
  extends: .deploy-base
  stage: deploy
  variables:
    ENVIRONMENT: production
  script:
    - ./deploy.sh production
  when: manual

2. Using include for Modular Configuration

Split large configurations into multiple files using include.

# .gitlab-ci.yml (main file)
include:
  - local: '.gitlab/ci/templates.yml'
  - local: '.gitlab/ci/build-jobs.yml'
  - local: '.gitlab/ci/test-jobs.yml'
  - local: '.gitlab/ci/deploy-jobs.yml'

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

variables:
  NODE_VERSION: "20"

# .gitlab/ci/templates.yml
.node-base:
  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-alpine
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
  before_script:
    - npm ci

3. Using YAML Anchors

Use YAML anchors for complex repeated structures within a file.

# Define anchor
.retry-config: &retry-config
  retry:
    max: 2
    when:
      - runner_system_failure
      - stuck_or_timeout_failure

# Use anchor
deploy-staging:
  stage: deploy
  <<: *retry-config
  script:
    - deploy staging

deploy-production:
  stage: deploy
  <<: *retry-config
  script:
    - deploy production

4. Using default for Common Settings

Set default values for all jobs using the default keyword.

default:
  image: node:20-alpine
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
  before_script:
    - echo "Starting job ${CI_JOB_NAME}"
  retry:
    max: 1
    when:
      - runner_system_failure
  tags:
    - docker
  interruptible: true

# Jobs inherit default settings
build:
  stage: build
  script: npm run build

test:
  stage: test
  script: npm test

---

Reliability and Error Handling

1. Retry Configuration

Configure retry for flaky operations to improve reliability.

# Retry on specific failures
test-integration:
  script:
    - npm run test:integration
  retry:
    max: 2
    when:
      - runner_system_failure
      - stuck_or_timeout_failure
      - api_failure

# Conditional retry
deploy:
  script:
    - deploy.sh
  retry:
    max: 2
    when: always

Retry scenarios:

• Network-dependent operations
• External API calls
• Integration tests
• Deployment operations
• Runner system failures

2. Timeout Settings

Set appropriate timeouts to prevent jobs from hanging.

# Global default timeout (project settings)
# Job-specific timeout
test-quick:
  script: npm run test:unit
  timeout: 10 minutes

test-e2e:
  script: npm run test:e2e
  timeout: 30 minutes

deploy:
  script: deploy.sh
  timeout: 15 minutes

3. Allow Failure

Use `allow_failure` strategically for non-critical jobs.

# Job can fail without blocking pipeline
lint:
  script: npm run lint
  allow_failure: true

# Conditional allow_failure
test-experimental:
  script: npm run test:experimental
  allow_failure:
    exit_codes: [1, 137]

4. Interruptible Jobs

Mark test jobs as interruptible to save resources.

test:
  script: npm test
  interruptible: true  # Can be canceled if new pipeline starts

deploy:
  script: deploy.sh
  interruptible: false  # Should not be canceled

5. After Script for Cleanup

Use `after_script` for cleanup operations that always run.

test:
  script:
    - npm test
  after_script:
    - echo "Cleaning up..."
    - docker stop test-container || true
    - rm -rf temp/

---

Naming Conventions

Job Names

Use descriptive, action-oriented names in kebab-case.

# ✅ GOOD: Clear, descriptive names
build-frontend:
  script: npm run build:frontend

test-unit:
  script: npm run test:unit

test-integration:
  script: npm run test:integration

deploy-staging:
  script: deploy staging

# ❌ BAD: Vague names
job1:
  script: npm build

job2:
  script: npm test

Stage Names

Use short, standard stage names.

stages:
  - build      # ✅ Standard, clear
  - test       # ✅ Standard, clear
  - deploy     # ✅ Standard, clear
  - .pre       # ✅ GitLab special stage
  - .post      # ✅ GitLab special stage

Variable Names

Use UPPER_SNAKE_CASE for variables.

variables:
  NODE_VERSION: "20"
  DOCKER_DRIVER: overlay2
  CACHE_VERSION: "v1"
  DEPLOY_ENVIRONMENT: staging

Environment Names

Use lowercase for environment names.

deploy-staging:
  environment:
    name: staging  # ✅ lowercase
    url: https://staging.example.com

deploy-production:
  environment:
    name: production  # ✅ lowercase
    url: https://example.com

---

Pipeline Architecture

1. Basic Three-Stage Pipeline

Simple, linear pipeline for straightforward projects.

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

build:
  stage: build
  script: make build

test:
  stage: test
  script: make test

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  script: make deploy
  when: manual

Use when:

• Simple projects with linear workflows
• Few dependencies between jobs
• Quick prototyping

2. DAG Pipeline with Needs

Optimized pipeline for complex projects with independent components.

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - security
  - deploy

build-frontend:
  stage: build
  script: build frontend

build-backend:
  stage: build
  script: build backend

test-frontend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-frontend]
  script: test frontend

test-backend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-backend]
  script: test backend

security-scan:
  stage: security
  needs: []  # Runs immediately
  script: security scan

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  needs: [test-frontend, test-backend, security-scan]
  script: deploy

Use when:

• Large projects with multiple components
• Need faster pipeline execution
• Clear dependencies between jobs

3. Parent-Child Pipelines

Hierarchical pipelines for monorepos or complex orchestration.

# Parent pipeline
stages:
  - trigger

trigger-frontend:
  stage: trigger
  trigger:
    include: frontend/.gitlab-ci.yml
    strategy: depend

trigger-backend:
  stage: trigger
  trigger:
    include: backend/.gitlab-ci.yml
    strategy: depend

Use when:

• Monorepo with multiple projects
• Need isolated pipeline configurations
• Complex orchestration scenarios

4. Multi-Project Pipelines

Cross-project orchestration triggering other projects.

trigger-downstream:
  stage: deploy
  trigger:
    project: group/downstream-project
    branch: main
    strategy: depend

Use when:

• Microservices deployment
• Library updates triggering dependent projects
• Complex multi-project workflows

---

Common Anti-Patterns

1. Using :latest Tag

# ❌ ANTI-PATTERN
test:
  image: node:latest
  script: npm test

# ✅ CORRECT
test:
  image: node:20.11-alpine3.19
  script: npm test

2. Hardcoding Secrets

# ❌ ANTI-PATTERN
deploy:
  script:
    - deploy --api-key abc123xyz

# ✅ CORRECT
deploy:
  script:
    - deploy --api-key $API_KEY

3. Using Deprecated only/except

# ❌ ANTI-PATTERN
deploy:
  only:
    - main
  except:
    - tags

# ✅ CORRECT
deploy:
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main" && $CI_COMMIT_TAG == null

4. Not Using Cache

# ❌ ANTI-PATTERN (installs dependencies every time)
test:
  script:
    - npm install
    - npm test

# ✅ CORRECT (caches node_modules)
test:
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm test

5. No Artifact Expiration

# ❌ ANTI-PATTERN (artifacts stored forever)
build:
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/

# ✅ CORRECT (artifacts expire)
build:
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/
    expire_in: 1 hour

6. Missing Resource Groups for Deployments

# ❌ ANTI-PATTERN (concurrent deployments possible)
deploy-production:
  script: deploy production

# ✅ CORRECT (prevents concurrent deployments)
deploy-production:
  script: deploy production
  resource_group: production

7. Overly Broad Artifact Paths

# ❌ ANTI-PATTERN
build:
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - ./**  # Includes everything

# ✅ CORRECT
build:
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/
      - build/
    exclude:
      - "**/*.env"

8. Not Using Needs for DAG Optimization

# ❌ ANTI-PATTERN (waits for all stage jobs)
stages:
  - build
  - test

build-frontend:
  stage: build
  script: build frontend

build-backend:
  stage: build
  script: build backend

test-frontend:
  stage: test
  script: test frontend  # Waits for build-backend too

# ✅ CORRECT (starts as soon as build-frontend completes)
test-frontend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-frontend]
  script: test frontend

---

Summary Checklist

When creating GitLab CI/CD pipelines, ensure:

• [ ] Docker images pinned to specific versions
• [ ] Secrets stored in masked CI/CD variables
• [ ] Cache configured for dependencies
• [ ] Artifacts have appropriate expiration times
• [ ] needs keyword used for DAG optimization
• [ ] rules used instead of deprecated only/except
• [ ] resource_group used for deployment jobs
• [ ] interruptible: true for test jobs
• [ ] Retry configured for flaky operations
• [ ] Timeout set for long-running jobs
• [ ] extends or include used to reduce duplication
• [ ] Descriptive job and stage names
• [ ] Cleanup operations in after_script
• [ ] Manual approval for production deployments
• [ ] Security scanning included in pipeline

---

Reference this document when generating or reviewing GitLab CI/CD pipelines to ensure best practices are followed.

GitLab CI/CD Common Patterns

This document provides ready-to-use patterns for common GitLab CI/CD scenarios. Use these patterns as starting points and customize them for your specific needs.

Table of Contents

1. Basic CI Pipeline Patterns 2. Docker Build and Push Patterns 3. Kubernetes Deployment Patterns 4. Testing Patterns 5. Deployment Patterns 6. Multi-Project Pipeline Patterns 7. Parent-Child Pipeline Patterns 8. Monorepo Patterns 9. Template and Reusability Patterns

---

Basic CI Pipeline Patterns

Pattern 1: Simple Three-Stage Pipeline

Use case: Basic projects with build, test, and deploy stages.

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

variables:
  NODE_VERSION: "20"

build-job:
  stage: build
  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-alpine
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/
    expire_in: 1 hour

test-job:
  stage: test
  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-alpine
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
    policy: pull
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm test

deploy-job:
  stage: deploy
  image: alpine:3.19
  script:
    - apk add --no-cache rsync openssh
    - rsync -avz dist/ $DEPLOY_SERVER:/var/www/html/
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
  when: manual

Pattern 2: Multi-Language Build Pipeline

Use case: Projects with multiple language components.

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

build-frontend:
  stage: build
  image: node:20-alpine
  script:
    - cd frontend
    - npm ci
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - frontend/dist/
    expire_in: 1 hour

build-backend:
  stage: build
  image: golang:1.22-alpine
  script:
    - cd backend
    - go build -o app
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - backend/app
    expire_in: 1 hour

test-frontend:
  stage: test
  image: node:20-alpine
  needs: [build-frontend]
  script:
    - cd frontend
    - npm ci
    - npm test

test-backend:
  stage: test
  image: golang:1.22-alpine
  needs: [build-backend]
  script:
    - cd backend
    - go test ./...

---

Docker Build and Push Patterns

Pattern 1: Docker Build with Multi-Stage

Use case: Building and pushing Docker images to GitLab Container Registry.

stages:
  - build
  - push

variables:
  DOCKER_DRIVER: overlay2
  IMAGE_NAME: $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE
  DOCKER_TLS_CERTDIR: "/certs"

build-docker-image:
  stage: build
  image: docker:24-dind
  services:
    - docker:24-dind
  before_script:
    - docker login -u $CI_REGISTRY_USER -p $CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD $CI_REGISTRY
  script:
    - docker build
        --cache-from $IMAGE_NAME:latest
        --tag $IMAGE_NAME:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
        --tag $IMAGE_NAME:latest
        --build-arg VERSION=$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
        .
    - docker push $IMAGE_NAME:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
    - docker push $IMAGE_NAME:latest
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH

# Alternative: Build and push with tags
push-release-image:
  stage: push
  image: docker:24-dind
  services:
    - docker:24-dind
  before_script:
    - docker login -u $CI_REGISTRY_USER -p $CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD $CI_REGISTRY
  script:
    - docker build --tag $IMAGE_NAME:$CI_COMMIT_TAG .
    - docker push $IMAGE_NAME:$CI_COMMIT_TAG
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG

Pattern 2: Docker Build with Kaniko (Rootless)

Use case: Building Docker images without Docker-in-Docker (more secure).

stages:
  - build

variables:
  IMAGE_NAME: $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE

docker-build-kaniko:
  stage: build
  image:
    name: gcr.io/kaniko-project/executor:v1.21.0-debug
    entrypoint: [""]
  script:
    - mkdir -p /kaniko/.docker
    - echo "{\"auths\":{\"${CI_REGISTRY}\":{\"auth\":\"$(printf "%s:%s" "${CI_REGISTRY_USER}" "${CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD}" | base64 | tr -d '\n')\"}}}" > /kaniko/.docker/config.json
    - /kaniko/executor
        --context "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"
        --dockerfile "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/Dockerfile"
        --destination "${IMAGE_NAME}:${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}"
        --destination "${IMAGE_NAME}:latest"
        --cache=true
        --cache-ttl=24h
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH

Pattern 3: Multi-Platform Docker Build

Use case: Building Docker images for multiple architectures.

stages:
  - build

variables:
  DOCKER_DRIVER: overlay2

build-multiarch:
  stage: build
  image: docker:24-dind
  services:
    - docker:24-dind
  before_script:
    - docker login -u $CI_REGISTRY_USER -p $CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD $CI_REGISTRY
    - docker buildx create --use
  script:
    - docker buildx build
        --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64
        --tag $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
        --tag $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:latest
        --push
        .
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH

---

Kubernetes Deployment Patterns

Pattern 1: kubectl Deployment

Use case: Deploying to Kubernetes using kubectl.

stages:
  - build
  - deploy

variables:
  KUBE_NAMESPACE: production
  IMAGE_TAG: $CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA

deploy-k8s:
  stage: deploy
  image: bitnami/kubectl:1.29
  before_script:
    - kubectl config use-context $KUBE_CONTEXT
    - kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=$KUBE_NAMESPACE
  script:
    - kubectl set image deployment/myapp myapp=$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$IMAGE_TAG
    - kubectl rollout status deployment/myapp --timeout=5m
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://example.com
    kubernetes:
      namespace: $KUBE_NAMESPACE
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
  when: manual
  resource_group: k8s-production

Pattern 2: Helm Deployment

Use case: Deploying to Kubernetes using Helm charts.

stages:
  - build
  - deploy

variables:
  HELM_CHART_PATH: ./helm/mychart
  RELEASE_NAME: myapp

deploy-helm-staging:
  stage: deploy
  image: alpine/helm:3.14.0
  before_script:
    - kubectl config use-context $KUBE_CONTEXT
  script:
    - helm upgrade --install $RELEASE_NAME $HELM_CHART_PATH
        --namespace staging
        --create-namespace
        --set image.tag=$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
        --set environment=staging
        --wait
        --timeout 5m
  environment:
    name: staging
    url: https://staging.example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "develop"

deploy-helm-production:
  stage: deploy
  image: alpine/helm:3.14.0
  before_script:
    - kubectl config use-context $KUBE_CONTEXT
  script:
    - helm upgrade --install $RELEASE_NAME $HELM_CHART_PATH
        --namespace production
        --create-namespace
        --set image.tag=$CI_COMMIT_TAG
        --set environment=production
        --wait
        --timeout 10m
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
  when: manual
  resource_group: k8s-production

Pattern 3: Kustomize Deployment

Use case: Deploying to Kubernetes using Kustomize.

stages:
  - deploy

deploy-kustomize:
  stage: deploy
  image:
    name: registry.k8s.io/kubectl:v1.29.1
    entrypoint: [""]
  before_script:
    - kubectl config use-context $KUBE_CONTEXT
  script:
    - cd k8s/overlays/$ENVIRONMENT
    - kustomize edit set image myapp=$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
    - kustomize build . | kubectl apply -f -
    - kubectl rollout status deployment/myapp -n $ENVIRONMENT
  environment:
    name: $ENVIRONMENT
    kubernetes:
      namespace: $ENVIRONMENT
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
      variables:
        ENVIRONMENT: production
  when: manual

---

Testing Patterns

Pattern 1: Comprehensive Testing Pipeline

Use case: Multiple types of tests (unit, integration, e2e).

stages:
  - test
  - integration

variables:
  NODE_VERSION: "20"

default:
  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-alpine
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
    policy: pull

test-unit:
  stage: test
  needs: []
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run test:unit
  coverage: '/Coverage: \d+\.\d+%/'
  artifacts:
    reports:
      junit: junit.xml
      coverage_report:
        coverage_format: cobertura
        path: coverage/cobertura-coverage.xml

test-lint:
  stage: test
  needs: []
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run lint
  allow_failure: true

test-types:
  stage: test
  needs: []
  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-alpine
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run type-check

test-integration:
  stage: integration
  needs: [test-unit]
  services:
    - postgres:15-alpine
    - redis:7-alpine
  variables:
    POSTGRES_DB: testdb
    POSTGRES_USER: testuser
    POSTGRES_PASSWORD: testpass
    DATABASE_URL: postgres://testuser:testpass@postgres:5432/testdb
    REDIS_URL: redis://redis:6379
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run test:integration
  retry:
    max: 2
    when:
      - runner_system_failure
      - api_failure

test-e2e:
  stage: integration
  needs: [test-unit]
  image: cypress/browsers:node-20.11.0-chrome-121.0.6167.85-1-ff-123.0-edge-121.0.2277.83-1
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run start:test &
    - npx wait-on http://localhost:3000
    - npm run test:e2e
  artifacts:
    when: always
    paths:
      - cypress/videos/
      - cypress/screenshots/
    expire_in: 1 week

Pattern 2: Matrix Testing (Multiple Versions)

Use case: Testing across multiple language/platform versions.

stages:
  - test

test-matrix:
  stage: test
  parallel:
    matrix:
      - NODE_VERSION: ['18', '20', '22']
        OS: ['alpine', 'bookworm-slim']
  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-${OS}
  script:
    - node --version
    - npm --version
    - npm ci
    - npm test

Pattern 3: Security Scanning

Use case: SAST, dependency scanning, container scanning.

include:
  - template: Security/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml
  - template: Security/Dependency-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml
  - template: Security/Container-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml

stages:
  - test
  - security

# Customize SAST
semgrep-sast:
  variables:
    SAST_EXCLUDED_PATHS: "spec, test, tests, tmp"

# Customize dependency scanning
gemnasium-dependency_scanning:
  variables:
    DS_EXCLUDED_PATHS: "node_modules, vendor"

# Container scanning after build
container_scanning:
  variables:
    CS_IMAGE: $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
  needs: [build-docker-image]

---

Deployment Patterns

Pattern 1: Multi-Environment Deployment

Use case: Deploy to multiple environments (dev, staging, production).

stages:
  - build
  - deploy

variables:
  IMAGE_TAG: $CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA

.deploy-template:
  image: alpine:3.19
  before_script:
    - apk add --no-cache curl
  script:
    - curl -X POST $DEPLOY_WEBHOOK_URL
        -H "Authorization: Bearer $DEPLOY_TOKEN"
        -d "{\"environment\":\"${ENVIRONMENT}\",\"version\":\"${IMAGE_TAG}\"}"
  resource_group: ${ENVIRONMENT}

deploy-dev:
  extends: .deploy-template
  stage: deploy
  variables:
    ENVIRONMENT: development
  environment:
    name: development
    url: https://dev.example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "develop"

deploy-staging:
  extends: .deploy-template
  stage: deploy
  variables:
    ENVIRONMENT: staging
  environment:
    name: staging
    url: https://staging.example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
  when: manual

deploy-production:
  extends: .deploy-template
  stage: deploy
  variables:
    ENVIRONMENT: production
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/
  when: manual
  needs: [deploy-staging]

Pattern 2: Blue-Green Deployment

Use case: Zero-downtime deployments with blue-green strategy.

stages:
  - deploy
  - verify
  - switch

deploy-green:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - kubectl apply -f k8s/deployment-green.yaml
    - kubectl rollout status deployment/myapp-green -n production
  environment:
    name: production-green
    url: https://green.example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
  when: manual

verify-green:
  stage: verify
  needs: [deploy-green]
  script:
    - curl -f https://green.example.com/health || exit 1
    - npm run test:smoke -- --baseUrl=https://green.example.com
  retry:
    max: 3
    when: always

switch-traffic:
  stage: switch
  needs: [verify-green]
  script:
    - kubectl patch service myapp -n production -p '{"spec":{"selector":{"version":"green"}}}'
    - echo "Traffic switched to green deployment"
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://example.com
  when: manual

Pattern 3: Canary Deployment

Use case: Gradual rollout with traffic splitting.

stages:
  - deploy
  - canary

deploy-canary:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - kubectl apply -f k8s/deployment-canary.yaml
    - kubectl set image deployment/myapp-canary myapp=$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
  environment:
    name: production-canary
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
  when: manual

# Increase canary traffic gradually
canary-10-percent:
  stage: canary
  script:
    - kubectl patch virtualservice myapp -n production --type merge -p '{"spec":{"http":[{"route":[{"destination":{"host":"myapp-stable"},"weight":90},{"destination":{"host":"myapp-canary"},"weight":10}]}]}}'
  needs: [deploy-canary]
  when: manual

canary-50-percent:
  stage: canary
  script:
    - kubectl patch virtualservice myapp -n production --type merge -p '{"spec":{"http":[{"route":[{"destination":{"host":"myapp-stable"},"weight":50},{"destination":{"host":"myapp-canary"},"weight":50}]}]}}'
  needs: [canary-10-percent]
  when: manual

canary-promote:
  stage: canary
  script:
    - kubectl patch virtualservice myapp -n production --type merge -p '{"spec":{"http":[{"route":[{"destination":{"host":"myapp-canary"},"weight":100}]}]}}'
    - kubectl set image deployment/myapp-stable myapp=$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
  needs: [canary-50-percent]
  when: manual

---

Multi-Project Pipeline Patterns

Pattern 1: Trigger Downstream Projects

Use case: Orchestrate multiple project pipelines.

stages:
  - build
  - trigger

build-library:
  stage: build
  script:
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/

trigger-dependent-projects:
  stage: trigger
  parallel:
    matrix:
      - PROJECT: ['group/app1', 'group/app2', 'group/app3']
  trigger:
    project: $PROJECT
    branch: main
    strategy: depend
  needs: [build-library]
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"

Pattern 2: Multi-Project Pipeline with Variables

Use case: Pass variables to downstream pipelines.

trigger-downstream:
  stage: deploy
  trigger:
    project: group/deployment-project
    branch: main
    strategy: depend
  variables:
    SERVICE_NAME: my-service
    SERVICE_VERSION: $CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
    ENVIRONMENT: production
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
  when: manual

---

Parent-Child Pipeline Patterns

Pattern 1: Dynamic Child Pipeline

Use case: Generate child pipeline configuration dynamically.

stages:
  - generate
  - deploy

generate-child-pipeline:
  stage: generate
  script:
    - python scripts/generate-pipeline.py > generated-pipeline.yml
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - generated-pipeline.yml

trigger-child-pipeline:
  stage: deploy
  trigger:
    include:
      - artifact: generated-pipeline.yml
        job: generate-child-pipeline
    strategy: depend
  needs: [generate-child-pipeline]

Pattern 2: Monorepo with Multiple Child Pipelines

Use case: Each component has its own pipeline configuration.

# Parent .gitlab-ci.yml
stages:
  - trigger

trigger-frontend:
  stage: trigger
  trigger:
    include: frontend/.gitlab-ci.yml
    strategy: depend
  rules:
    - changes:
        - frontend/**/*

trigger-backend:
  stage: trigger
  trigger:
    include: backend/.gitlab-ci.yml
    strategy: depend
  rules:
    - changes:
        - backend/**/*

trigger-infrastructure:
  stage: trigger
  trigger:
    include: infrastructure/.gitlab-ci.yml
    strategy: depend
  rules:
    - changes:
        - infrastructure/**/*

---

Monorepo Patterns

Pattern 1: Conditional Jobs Based on Changes

Use case: Only run jobs for changed components.

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

build-frontend:
  stage: build
  script:
    - cd frontend
    - npm ci
    - npm run build
  rules:
    - changes:
        - frontend/**/*

build-backend:
  stage: build
  script:
    - cd backend
    - go build
  rules:
    - changes:
        - backend/**/*

test-frontend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-frontend]
  script:
    - cd frontend
    - npm test
  rules:
    - changes:
        - frontend/**/*

test-backend:
  stage: test
  needs: [build-backend]
  script:
    - cd backend
    - go test ./...
  rules:
    - changes:
        - backend/**/*

Pattern 2: Monorepo with Parallel Child Pipelines

Use case: Run multiple child pipelines in parallel for different components.

stages:
  - trigger

.trigger-template:
  stage: trigger
  trigger:
    strategy: depend

trigger-service-a:
  extends: .trigger-template
  trigger:
    include: services/service-a/.gitlab-ci.yml
  rules:
    - changes:
        - services/service-a/**/*

trigger-service-b:
  extends: .trigger-template
  trigger:
    include: services/service-b/.gitlab-ci.yml
  rules:
    - changes:
        - services/service-b/**/*

trigger-service-c:
  extends: .trigger-template
  trigger:
    include: services/service-c/.gitlab-ci.yml
  rules:
    - changes:
        - services/service-c/**/*

---

Template and Reusability Patterns

Pattern 1: Global Template Library

Use case: Reusable templates across multiple projects.

# templates/build-templates.yml
.node-build-template:
  image: node:20-alpine
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - node_modules/
  before_script:
    - npm ci
  script:
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/
    expire_in: 1 hour

.python-build-template:
  image: python:3.12-alpine
  cache:
    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
    paths:
      - .venv/
  before_script:
    - python -m venv .venv
    - source .venv/bin/activate
    - pip install -r requirements.txt
  script:
    - python setup.py build

# Project .gitlab-ci.yml
include:
  - project: 'group/ci-templates'
    file: 'templates/build-templates.yml'

stages:
  - build

build-app:
  extends: .node-build-template
  stage: build

Pattern 2: Local Template with Extends

Use case: DRY configuration within a single project.

# Hidden template jobs
.deployment-base:
  image: alpine:3.19
  before_script:
    - apk add --no-cache curl
  script:
    - ./scripts/deploy.sh $ENVIRONMENT
  resource_group: ${ENVIRONMENT}
  retry:
    max: 2
    when:
      - runner_system_failure

# Actual deployment jobs
deploy-staging:
  extends: .deployment-base
  stage: deploy
  variables:
    ENVIRONMENT: staging
  environment:
    name: staging
    url: https://staging.example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"

deploy-production:
  extends: .deployment-base
  stage: deploy
  variables:
    ENVIRONMENT: production
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://example.com
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
  when: manual

---

Summary

These patterns provide a solid foundation for common GitLab CI/CD scenarios. When using these patterns:

1. Customize them for your specific needs 2. Validate using gitlab-ci-validator skill 3. Follow best practices from references/best-practices.md 4. Test locally when possible 5. Document any modifications

Remember: These are starting points. Always adapt them to your project's specific requirements, security policies, and infrastructure.