GitLab CI Patterns

Comprehensive GitLab CI/CD pipeline patterns for automated testing, building, and deployment.

Do not use this skill when

• The task is unrelated to gitlab ci patterns
• You need a different domain or tool outside this scope

Instructions

• Clarify goals, constraints, and required inputs.
• Apply relevant best practices and validate outcomes.
• Provide actionable steps and verification.
• If detailed examples are required, open resources/implementation-playbook.md.

Purpose

Create efficient GitLab CI pipelines with proper stage organization, caching, and deployment strategies.

Use this skill when

• 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:latest
  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

.deploy_template: &deploy_template
  image: bitnami/kubectl:latest
  before_script:
    - kubectl config set-cluster k8s --server="$KUBE_URL" --insecure-skip-tls-verify=true
    - kubectl config set-credentials admin --token="$KUBE_TOKEN"
    - kubectl config set-context default --cluster=k8s --user=admin
    - kubectl config use-context default

deploy:staging:
   child-pipeline.yml
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - child-pipeline.yml

trigger-child:
  stage: deploy
  trigger:
    include:
      - artifact: child-pipeline.yml
        job: generate-pipeline
    strategy: depend

Reference Files

• assets/gitlab-ci.yml.template - Complete pipeline template
• references/pipeline-stages.md - Stage organization patterns

Best Practices

1. Use specific image tags (node:20, not node:latest)
2. Cache dependencies appropriately
3. Use artifacts for build outputs
4. Implement manual gates for production
5. Use environments for deployment tracking
6. Enable merge request pipelines
7. Use pipeline schedules for recurring jobs
8. Implement security scanning
9. Use CI/CD variables for secrets
10. Monitor pipeline performance

Related Skills

• github-actions-templates - For GitHub Actions
• deployment-pipeline-design - For architecture
• secrets-management - For secrets handling