Files

SKILL.mdagentsreferences

Install

Install the containing plugin

/plugin install ci-cd@llm-skills

Invoke this skill after installation

/ci-cd:gitlab-ci

Download gitlab-ci-skill.zip

This skill is bundled inside ci-cd. Install the plugin once, then Claude Code can use any of its included skills. Browse the full plugin repository at github.com/alisonaquinas/llm-ci-dev.

SKILL.md

name: gitlab-ci description: > Write and maintain GitLab CI pipelines in .gitlab-ci.yml with jobs, stages, testing, caching, runners, variables, and secrets.

GitLab CI

Write and maintain GitLab CI pipelines to automate testing, building, and deployment workflows. This skill covers .gitlab-ci.yml structure, job anatomy, runners, caching, testing strategies, and secrets management.

Intent Router

Load reference files for depth on specific topics:

Topic	File	Load when...
Pipeline Basics	`references/pipeline-basics.md`	Structuring .gitlab-ci.yml, jobs, stages, dependencies, rules, extends, include, parallel, trigger, MR pipelines
Runners & Caching	`references/runners-and-caching.md`	Runner types, executor selection, tags, cache key design, artifacts, Docker-in-Docker, service containers
Testing & Quality	`references/testing-and-quality.md`	JUnit reports, code coverage, SAST/DAST/dependency scanning, merge request tests, matrix testing
Variables & Secrets	`references/variables-and-secrets.md`	Predefined variables, custom variables, protected+masked, vault integration, dotenv, CI_JOB_TOKEN, OIDC

Quick Start

Minimal Pipeline Structure

A .gitlab-ci.yml file at the repository root defines all pipeline stages and jobs:

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - make build

test:
  stage: test
  script:
    - make test

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - make deploy

Common Keywords

Keyword	Purpose
`stages`	Define pipeline order (executed sequentially)
`script`	Commands to execute in the job
`stage`	Which stage this job belongs to
`needs`	Explicit job dependencies; allows parallel jobs in same stage
`rules`	Conditional execution (if/when/variables)
`cache`	Persist data between jobs (e.g., dependencies, build artifacts)
`artifacts`	Preserve build outputs for download or downstream jobs
`before_script`	Run before job commands
`after_script`	Run after job commands (even if job fails)
`extends`	Reuse job templates from local or included YAML
`include`	Import external .gitlab-ci.yml files
`retry`	Retry job on failure
`timeout`	Job execution timeout
`tags`	Select runner by tag
`variables`	Job-level or global environment variables
`only`/`except`	Legacy conditional execution (use `rules` instead)

File Placement

.gitlab-ci.yml must be at the repository root to be automatically detected. Additional configuration files can be included via include keyword.

YAML Validation

Validate .gitlab-ci.yml locally before pushing:

# Using gitlab-runner (if installed)
gitlab-runner verify

# Using yamllint (with custom config)
yamllint -d relaxed .gitlab-ci.yml

# Using curl to GitLab API (requires authentication)
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: $CI_JOB_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"dry_run": true, "ref": "main"}' \
  https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/:id/ci/lint

Related References

Load Pipeline Basics to design job dependencies, use extends, and structure stages
Load Runners & Caching for executor selection and performance optimization
Load Testing & Quality to integrate testing reports and code scanning
Load Variables & Secrets to manage CI/CD secrets safely

Cross-References

Related skills in this collection:

ci-architecture — High-level CI/CD pipeline design patterns
gitlab-docs — GitLab API and web UI reference
yaml-linting — Validate .gitlab-ci.yml syntax and style
yaml-lsp — YAML editor integration for .gitlab-ci.yml