460 lines
21 KiB
Markdown
460 lines
21 KiB
Markdown
---
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stage: Verify
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group: Pipeline Authoring
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info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
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disqus_identifier: 'https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/pipelines.html'
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type: reference
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---
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# CI/CD pipelines **(FREE)**
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NOTE:
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Watch the
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["Mastering continuous software development"](https://about.gitlab.com/webcast/mastering-ci-cd/)
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webcast to see a comprehensive demo of a GitLab CI/CD pipeline.
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Pipelines are the top-level component of continuous integration, delivery, and deployment.
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Pipelines comprise:
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- Jobs, which define *what* to do. For example, jobs that compile or test code.
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- Stages, which define *when* to run the jobs. For example, stages that run tests after stages that compile the code.
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Jobs are executed by [runners](../runners/index.md). Multiple jobs in the same stage are executed in parallel,
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if there are enough concurrent runners.
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If *all* jobs in a stage succeed, the pipeline moves on to the next stage.
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If *any* job in a stage fails, the next stage is not (usually) executed and the pipeline ends early.
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In general, pipelines are executed automatically and require no intervention once created. However, there are
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also times when you can manually interact with a pipeline.
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A typical pipeline might consist of four stages, executed in the following order:
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- A `build` stage, with a job called `compile`.
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- A `test` stage, with two jobs called `test1` and `test2`.
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- A `staging` stage, with a job called `deploy-to-stage`.
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- A `production` stage, with a job called `deploy-to-prod`.
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NOTE:
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If you have a [mirrored repository that GitLab pulls from](../../user/project/repository/mirror/pull.md),
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you may need to enable pipeline triggering in your project's
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**Settings > Repository > Pull from a remote repository > Trigger pipelines for mirror updates**.
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## Types of pipelines
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Pipelines can be configured in many different ways:
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- [Basic pipelines](pipeline_architectures.md#basic-pipelines) run everything in each stage concurrently,
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followed by the next stage.
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- [Directed Acyclic Graph Pipeline (DAG) pipelines](../directed_acyclic_graph/index.md) are based on relationships
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between jobs and can run more quickly than basic pipelines.
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- [Merge request pipelines](../pipelines/merge_request_pipelines.md) run for merge
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requests only (rather than for every commit).
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- [Merged results pipelines](../pipelines/merged_results_pipelines.md)
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are merge request pipelines that act as though the changes from the source branch have
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already been merged into the target branch.
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- [Merge trains](../pipelines/merge_trains.md)
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use merged results pipelines to queue merges one after the other.
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- [Parent-child pipelines](parent_child_pipelines.md) break down complex pipelines
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into one parent pipeline that can trigger multiple child sub-pipelines, which all
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run in the same project and with the same SHA. This pipeline architecture is commonly used for mono-repos.
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- [Multi-project pipelines](multi_project_pipelines.md) combine pipelines for different projects together.
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### How parent-child pipelines compare to multi-project pipelines
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Parent-child pipelines and multi-project pipelines can sometimes be used for similar
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purposes, but there are some key differences:
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Parent-child pipelines:
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- Run under the same project, ref, and commit SHA as the parent pipeline.
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- Affect the overall status of the ref the pipeline runs against. For example,
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if a pipeline fails for the main branch, it's common to say that "main is broken".
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The status of child pipelines don't directly affect the status of the ref, unless the child
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pipeline is triggered with [`strategy:depend`](../yaml/index.md#triggerstrategy).
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- Are automatically canceled if the pipeline is configured with [`interruptible`](../yaml/index.md#interruptible)
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when a new pipeline is created for the same ref.
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- Display only the parent pipelines in the pipeline index page. Child pipelines are
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visible when visiting their parent pipeline's page.
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- Are limited to 2 levels of nesting. A parent pipeline can trigger multiple child pipelines,
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and those child pipeline can trigger multiple child pipelines (`A -> B -> C`).
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Multi-project pipelines:
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- Are triggered from another pipeline, but the upstream (triggering) pipeline does
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not have much control over the downstream (triggered) pipeline. However, it can
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choose the ref of the downstream pipeline, and pass CI/CD variables to it.
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- Affect the overall status of the ref of the project it runs in, but does not
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affect the status of the triggering pipeline's ref, unless it was triggered with
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[`strategy:depend`](../yaml/index.md#triggerstrategy).
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- Are not automatically canceled in the downstream project when using [`interruptible`](../yaml/index.md#interruptible)
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if a new pipeline runs for the same ref in the upstream pipeline. They can be
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automatically canceled if a new pipeline is triggered for the same ref on the downstream project.
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- Multi-project pipelines are standalone pipelines because they are normal pipelines
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that happened to be triggered by an external project. They are all visible on the pipeline index page.
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- Are independent, so there are no nesting limits.
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## Configure a pipeline
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Pipelines and their component jobs and stages are defined in the CI/CD pipeline configuration file for each project.
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- [Jobs](../jobs/index.md) are the basic configuration component.
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- Stages are defined by using the [`stages`](../yaml/index.md#stages) keyword.
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For a list of configuration options in the CI pipeline file, see the [GitLab CI/CD Pipeline Configuration Reference](../yaml/index.md).
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You can also configure specific aspects of your pipelines through the GitLab UI. For example:
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- [Pipeline settings](settings.md) for each project.
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- [Pipeline schedules](schedules.md).
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- [Custom CI/CD variables](../variables/index.md#custom-cicd-variables).
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### Ref specs for runners
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When a runner picks a pipeline job, GitLab provides that job's metadata. This includes the [Git refspecs](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-The-Refspec),
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which indicate which ref (branch, tag, and so on) and commit (SHA1) are checked out from your
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project repository.
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This table lists the refspecs injected for each pipeline type:
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| Pipeline type | Refspecs |
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|--------------- |---------------------------------------- |
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| pipeline for branches | `+<sha>:refs/pipelines/<id>` and `+refs/heads/<name>:refs/remotes/origin/<name>` |
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| pipeline for tags | `+<sha>:refs/pipelines/<id>` and `+refs/tags/<name>:refs/tags/<name>` |
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| [merge request pipeline](../pipelines/merge_request_pipelines.md) | `+<sha>:refs/pipelines/<id>` |
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The refs `refs/heads/<name>` and `refs/tags/<name>` exist in your
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project repository. GitLab generates the special ref `refs/pipelines/<id>` during a
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running pipeline job. This ref can be created even after the associated branch or tag has been
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deleted. It's therefore useful in some features such as [automatically stopping an environment](../environments/index.md#stop-an-environment),
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and [merge trains](../pipelines/merge_trains.md)
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that might run pipelines after branch deletion.
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### View pipelines
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You can find the current and historical pipeline runs under your project's
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**CI/CD > Pipelines** page. You can also access pipelines for a merge request by navigating
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to its **Pipelines** tab.
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![Pipelines index page](img/pipelines_index_v13_0.png)
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Select a pipeline to open the **Pipeline Details** page and show
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the jobs that were run for that pipeline. From here you can cancel a running pipeline,
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retry jobs on a failed pipeline, or [delete a pipeline](#delete-a-pipeline).
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[Starting in GitLab 12.3](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/issues/50499), a link to the
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latest pipeline for the last commit of a given branch is available at `/project/pipelines/[branch]/latest`.
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Also, `/project/pipelines/latest` redirects you to the latest pipeline for the last commit
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on the project's default branch.
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[Starting in GitLab 13.0](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/215367),
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you can filter the pipeline list by:
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- Trigger author
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- Branch name
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- Status ([GitLab 13.1 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/217617))
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- Tag ([GitLab 13.1 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/217617))
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- Source ([GitLab 14.3 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/338347))
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[Starting in GitLab 14.2](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/26621), you can change the
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pipeline column to display the pipeline ID or the pipeline IID.
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If you use VS Code to edit your GitLab CI/CD configuration, the
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[GitLab Workflow VS Code extension](../../user/project/repository/vscode.md) helps you
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[validate your configuration](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GitLab.gitlab-workflow#validate-gitlab-ci-configuration)
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and [view your pipeline status](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GitLab.gitlab-workflow#information-about-your-branch-pipelines-mr-closing-issue).
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### Run a pipeline manually
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Pipelines can be manually executed, with predefined or manually-specified [variables](../variables/index.md).
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You might do this if the results of a pipeline (for example, a code build) are required outside the normal
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operation of the pipeline.
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To execute a pipeline manually:
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1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
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1. On the left sidebar, select **CI/CD > Pipelines**.
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1. Select **Run pipeline**.
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1. In the **Run for branch name or tag** field, select the branch or tag to run the pipeline for.
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1. Enter any [environment variables](../variables/index.md) required for the pipeline to run.
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You can set specific variables to have their [values prefilled in the form](#prefill-variables-in-manual-pipelines).
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1. Select **Run pipeline**.
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The pipeline now executes the jobs as configured.
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#### Prefill variables in manual pipelines
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> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/30101) in GitLab 13.7.
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You can use the [`value` and `description`](../yaml/index.md#variablesdescription)
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keywords to define
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[pipeline-level (global) variables](../variables/index.md#create-a-custom-cicd-variable-in-the-gitlab-ciyml-file)
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that are prefilled when running a pipeline manually.
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In pipelines triggered manually, the **Run pipelines** page displays all top-level variables
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with a `description` and `value` defined in the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file. The values
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can then be modified if needed, which overrides the value for that single pipeline run.
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The description is displayed next to the variable. It can be used to explain what
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the variable is used for, what the acceptable values are, and so on:
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```yaml
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variables:
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DEPLOY_ENVIRONMENT:
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value: "staging" # Deploy to staging by default
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description: "The deployment target. Change this variable to 'canary' or 'production' if needed."
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```
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You cannot set job-level variables to be pre-filled when you run a pipeline manually.
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### Run a pipeline by using a URL query string
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> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/24146) in GitLab 12.5.
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You can use a query string to pre-populate the **Run Pipeline** page. For example, the query string
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`.../pipelines/new?ref=my_branch&var[foo]=bar&file_var[file_foo]=file_bar` pre-populates the
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**Run Pipeline** page with:
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- **Run for** field: `my_branch`.
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- **Variables** section:
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- Variable:
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- Key: `foo`
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- Value: `bar`
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- File:
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- Key: `file_foo`
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- Value: `file_bar`
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The format of the `pipelines/new` URL is:
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```plaintext
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.../pipelines/new?ref=<branch>&var[<variable_key>]=<value>&file_var[<file_key>]=<value>
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```
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The following parameters are supported:
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- `ref`: specify the branch to populate the **Run for** field with.
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- `var`: specify a `Variable` variable.
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- `file_var`: specify a `File` variable.
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For each `var` or `file_var`, a key and value are required.
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### Add manual interaction to your pipeline
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[Manual jobs](../jobs/job_control.md#create-a-job-that-must-be-run-manually),
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allow you to require manual interaction before moving forward in the pipeline.
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You can do this straight from the pipeline graph. Just select the play button
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to execute that particular job.
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For example, your pipeline can start automatically, but require a manual action to
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[deploy to production](../environments/index.md#configure-manual-deployments).
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In the example below, the `production` stage has a job with a manual action:
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![Pipelines example](img/manual_pipeline_v14_2.png)
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#### Start multiple manual actions in a stage
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> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/27188) in GitLab 11.11.
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Multiple manual actions in a single stage can be started at the same time using the "Play all manual"
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After you select this action, each individual manual action is triggered and refreshed
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to an updated status.
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This functionality is only available:
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- For users with at least the Developer role.
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- If the stage contains [manual actions](#add-manual-interaction-to-your-pipeline).
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### Skip a pipeline
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To push a commit without triggering a pipeline, add `[ci skip]` or `[skip ci]`, using any
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capitalization, to your commit message.
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Alternatively, if you are using Git 2.10 or later, use the `ci.skip` [Git push option](../../user/project/push_options.md#push-options-for-gitlab-cicd).
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The `ci.skip` push option does not skip merge request
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pipelines.
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### Delete a pipeline
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> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/24851) in GitLab 12.7.
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Users with the Owner role for a project can delete a pipeline
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by clicking on the pipeline in the **CI/CD > Pipelines** to get to the **Pipeline Details**
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page, then selecting **Delete**.
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![Pipeline Delete](img/pipeline-delete.png)
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WARNING:
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Deleting a pipeline expires all pipeline caches, and deletes all related objects,
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such as builds, logs, artifacts, and triggers. **This action cannot be undone.**
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### Pipeline security on protected branches
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A strict security model is enforced when pipelines are executed on
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[protected branches](../../user/project/protected_branches.md).
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The following actions are allowed on protected branches only if the user is
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[allowed to merge or push](../../user/project/protected_branches.md)
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on that specific branch:
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- Run manual pipelines (using the [Web UI](#run-a-pipeline-manually) or [pipelines API](#pipelines-api)).
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- Run scheduled pipelines.
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- Run pipelines using triggers.
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- Run on-demand DAST scan.
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- Trigger manual actions on existing pipelines.
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- Retry or cancel existing jobs (using the Web UI or pipelines API).
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**Variables** marked as **protected** are accessible only to jobs that
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run on protected branches, preventing untrusted users getting unintended access to
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sensitive information like deployment credentials and tokens.
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**Runners** marked as **protected** can run jobs only on protected
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branches, preventing untrusted code from executing on the protected runner and
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preserving deployment keys and other credentials from being unintentionally
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accessed. To ensure that jobs intended to be executed on protected
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runners do not use regular runners, they must be tagged accordingly.
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### How pipeline duration is calculated
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Total running time for a given pipeline excludes retries and pending
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(queued) time.
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Each job is represented as a `Period`, which consists of:
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- `Period#first` (when the job started).
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- `Period#last` (when the job finished).
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A simple example is:
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- A (1, 3)
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- B (2, 4)
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- C (6, 7)
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In the example:
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- A begins at 1 and ends at 3.
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- B begins at 2 and ends at 4.
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- C begins at 6 and ends at 7.
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Visually, it can be viewed as:
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```plaintext
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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AAAAAAA
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BBBBBBB
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CCCC
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```
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The union of A, B, and C is (1, 4) and (6, 7). Therefore, the total running time is:
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```plaintext
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(4 - 1) + (7 - 6) => 4
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```
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## Visualize pipelines
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Pipelines can be complex structures with many sequential and parallel jobs.
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To make it easier to understand the flow of a pipeline, GitLab has pipeline graphs for viewing pipelines
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and their statuses.
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Pipeline graphs can be displayed as a large graph or a miniature representation, depending on the page you
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access the graph from.
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GitLab capitalizes the stages' names in the pipeline graphs.
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### View full pipeline graph
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> - Visualization improvements [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/276949) in GitLab 13.11.
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The [pipeline details page](#view-pipelines) displays the full pipeline graph of
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all the jobs in the pipeline.
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You can group the jobs by:
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- Stage, which arranges jobs in the same stage together in the same column:
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![jobs grouped by stage](img/pipelines_graph_stage_view_v14_2.png)
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- [Job dependencies](#view-job-dependencies-in-the-pipeline-graph), which arranges
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jobs based on their [`needs`](../yaml/index.md#needs) dependencies.
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[Multi-project pipeline graphs](multi_project_pipelines.md#multi-project-pipeline-visualization) help
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you visualize the entire pipeline, including all cross-project inter-dependencies. **(PREMIUM)**
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If a stage contains more than 100 jobs, only the first 100 jobs are listed in the
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pipeline graph. The remaining jobs still run as normal. To see the jobs:
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- Select the pipeline, and the jobs are listed on the right side of the pipeline details page.
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- On the left sidebar, select **CI/CD > Jobs**.
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### View job dependencies in the pipeline graph
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> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/298973) in GitLab 13.12.
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> - [Enabled by default](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/328538) in GitLab 14.0.
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> - [Feature flag removed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/328538) in GitLab 14.2.
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You can arrange jobs in the pipeline graph based on their [`needs`](../yaml/index.md#needs)
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dependencies.
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Jobs in the leftmost column run first, and jobs that depend on them are grouped in the next columns.
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For example, `test-job1` depends only on jobs in the first column, so it displays
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in the second column from the left. `deploy-job1` depends on jobs in both the first
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and second column and displays in the third column:
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![jobs grouped by needs dependency](img/pipelines_graph_dependency_view_v13_12.png)
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To add lines that show the `needs` relationships between jobs, select the **Show dependencies** toggle.
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These lines are similar to the [needs visualization](../directed_acyclic_graph/index.md#needs-visualization):
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![jobs grouped by needs dependency with lines displayed](img/pipelines_graph_dependency_view_links_v13_12.png)
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To see the full `needs` dependency tree for a job, hover over it:
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![single job dependency tree highlighted](img/pipelines_graph_dependency_view_hover_v13_12.png)
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### Pipeline mini graphs
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Pipeline mini graphs take less space and can tell you at a
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quick glance if all jobs passed or something failed. The pipeline mini graph can
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be found when you go to:
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- The pipelines index page.
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- A single commit page.
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- A merge request page.
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- The [pipeline editor](../pipeline_editor/index.md), [in GitLab 14.5](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/337514) and later.
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Pipeline mini graphs allow you to see all related jobs for a single commit and the net result
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of each stage of your pipeline. This allows you to quickly see what failed and
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fix it.
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Pipeline mini graphs only display jobs by stage.
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Stages in pipeline mini graphs are expandable. Hover your mouse over each stage to see the name and status, and select a stage to expand its jobs list.
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| Mini graph | Mini graph expanded |
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|:-------------------------------------------------------------|:---------------------------------------------------------------|
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| ![Pipelines mini graph](img/pipelines_mini_graph_simple.png) | ![Pipelines mini graph extended](img/pipelines_mini_graph.png) |
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### Pipeline success and duration charts
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Pipeline analytics are available on the [**CI/CD Analytics** page](../../user/analytics/ci_cd_analytics.md#pipeline-success-and-duration-charts).
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### Pipeline badges
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Pipeline status and test coverage report badges are available and configurable for each project.
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For information on adding pipeline badges to projects, see [Pipeline badges](settings.md#pipeline-badges).
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## Pipelines API
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GitLab provides API endpoints to:
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- Perform basic functions. For more information, see [Pipelines API](../../api/pipelines.md).
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- Maintain pipeline schedules. For more information, see [Pipeline schedules API](../../api/pipeline_schedules.md).
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- Trigger pipeline runs. For more information, see:
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- [Triggering pipelines through the API](../triggers/index.md).
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- [Pipeline triggers API](../../api/pipeline_triggers.md).
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