gitlab-ci-patterns
Build GitLab CI/CD pipelines with multi-stage workflows, caching, and distributed runners for scalable automation. Use when implementing GitLab CI/CD, optimizing pipeline performance, or setting up automated testing and deployment.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill gitlab-ci-patterns- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads gitlab-ci-patterns automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
Security audits
Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
GitLab CI Patterns
Comprehensive GitLab CI/CD pipeline patterns for automated testing, building, and deployment.
Purpose
Create efficient GitLab CI pipelines with proper stage organization, caching, and deployment strategies.
When to Use
- Automate GitLab-based CI/CD
- Implement multi-stage pipelines
- Configure GitLab Runners
- Deploy to Kubernetes from GitLab
- Implement GitOps workflows
Basic Pipeline Structure
stages:
- build
- test
- deploy
variables:
DOCKER_DRIVER: overlay2
DOCKER_TLS_CERTDIR: "/certs"
build:
stage: build
image: node:20
script:
- npm ci
- npm run build
artifacts:
paths:
- dist/
expire_in: 1 hour
cache:
key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
paths:
- node_modules/
test:
stage: test
image: node:20
script:
- npm ci
- npm run lint
- npm test
coverage: '/Lines\s*:\s*(\d+\.\d+)%/'
artifacts:
reports:
coverage_report:
coverage_format: cobertura
path: coverage/cobertura-coverage.xml
deploy:
stage: deploy
image: bitnami/kubectl:1.31
script:
- kubectl apply -f k8s/
- kubectl rollout status deployment/my-app
only:
- main
environment:
name: production
url: https://app.example.com
Docker Build and Push
build-docker:
stage: build
image: docker:24
services:
- docker:24-dind
before_script:
- docker login -u $CI_REGISTRY_USER -p $CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD $CI_REGISTRY
script:
- docker build -t $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHA .
- docker build -t $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:latest .
- docker push $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHA
- docker push $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:latest
only:
- main
- tags
Multi-Environment Deployment
Set KUBE_CA_CERT_FILE as a GitLab file variable containing the cluster CA certificate,
and provide KUBE_TOKEN through a protected, masked CI variable. The file variable
contains a path that kubectl uses to verify the API server certificate. Protect both
develop and main so the deployment jobs can read the protected token.
.deploy_template: &deploy_template
image: bitnami/kubectl:1.31
before_script:
- kubectl config set-cluster k8s --server="$KUBE_URL" --certificate-authority="$KUBE_CA_CERT_FILE" --embed-certs=true
- kubectl config set-credentials admin --token="$KUBE_TOKEN"
- kubectl config set-context default --cluster=k8s --user=admin
- kubectl config use-context default
deploy:staging:
<<: *deploy_template
stage: deploy
script:
- kubectl apply -f k8s/ -n staging
- kubectl rollout status deployment/my-app -n staging
environment:
name: staging
url: https://staging.example.com
only:
- develop
deploy:production:
<<: *deploy_template
stage: deploy
script:
- kubectl apply -f k8s/ -n production
- kubectl rollout status deployment/my-app -n production
environment:
name: production
url: https://app.example.com
when: manual
only:
- main
Terraform Pipeline
stages:
- validate
- plan
- apply
variables:
TF_ROOT: ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/terraform
TF_VERSION: "1.6.0"
before_script:
- cd ${TF_ROOT}
- terraform --version
validate:
stage: validate
image: hashicorp/terraform:${TF_VERSION}
script:
- terraform init -backend=false
- terraform validate
- terraform fmt -check
plan:
stage: plan
image: hashicorp/terraform:${TF_VERSION}
script:
- terraform init
- terraform plan -out=tfplan
artifacts:
paths:
- ${TF_ROOT}/tfplan
expire_in: 1 day
apply:
stage: apply
image: hashicorp/terraform:${TF_VERSION}
script:
- terraform init
- terraform apply -auto-approve tfplan
dependencies:
- plan
when: manual
only:
- main
Security Scanning
include:
- template: Security/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml
- template: Security/Dependency-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml
- template: Security/Container-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml
trivy-scan:
stage: test
image: aquasec/trivy:0.58.0
script:
- trivy image --exit-code 1 --severity HIGH,CRITICAL $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHA
allow_failure: true
Caching Strategies
# Cache node_modules
build:
cache:
key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
paths:
- node_modules/
policy: pull-push
# Global cache
cache:
key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
paths:
- .cache/
- vendor/
# Separate cache per job
job1:
cache:
key: job1-cache
paths:
- build/
job2:
cache:
key: job2-cache
paths:
- dist/
Dynamic Child Pipelines
generate-pipeline:
stage: build
script:
- python generate_pipeline.py > child-pipeline.yml
artifacts:
paths:
- child-pipeline.yml
trigger-child:
stage: deploy
trigger:
include:
- artifact: child-pipeline.yml
job: generate-pipeline
strategy: depend
Best Practices
- Use specific image tags (node:20, not node:latest)
- Cache dependencies appropriately
- Use artifacts for build outputs
- Implement manual gates for production
- Use environments for deployment tracking
- Enable merge request pipelines
- Use pipeline schedules for recurring jobs
- Implement security scanning
- Use CI/CD variables for secrets
- Monitor pipeline performance
Related Skills
github-actions-templates- For GitHub Actionsdeployment-pipeline-design- For architecturesecrets-management- For secrets handling
FAQ
What does the gitlab-ci-patterns skill do?
Build GitLab CI/CD pipelines with multi-stage workflows, caching, and distributed runners for scalable automation. Use when implementing GitLab CI/CD, optimizing pipeline performance, or setting up automated testing and deployment.
How do I install gitlab-ci-patterns?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill gitlab-ci-patterns in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/gitlab-ci-patterns/ (personal) or .claude/skills/gitlab-ci-patterns/ (project).
Which AI agents can use gitlab-ci-patterns?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is gitlab-ci-patterns safe to install?
Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub passed; Socket passed; Snyk passed; Runlayer flagged items to review; ZeroLeaks passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.
Who maintains gitlab-ci-patterns?
It is published by wshobson in wshobson/agents. It has 13,224 recorded installs.
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