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Getting started with GitLab: Working with CI/CD variables

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Table of Contents

  1. Scopes of CI/CD variables
  2. Defining CI/CD variables
  3. Using CI/CD variables
  4. Predefined CI/CD variables
  5. Unlock the power of variables

1. Scopes of CI/CD variables

  • Project-level variables: Specific to a single project for project-specific settings like deployment URLs.
  • Group-level variables: Shared across all projects within a GitLab group for common settings like API keys for shared services or global configuration settings.
  • Instance-level variables: Available to all projects on a GitLab instance for global environment settings such as default Docker image.

2. Defining CI/CD variables

  • Click on the Settings > CI/CD buttons for the desired scope (project, group, instance).
  • Optionally check the Mask variable box to hide the variable's value from job logs.

3. Using CI/CD variables

  • Prefix the variable name with $ to use it in your file.

4. Predefined CI/CD variables

GitLab provides predefined CI/CD variables like $CI_PIPELINE_ID which represents the ID of the current pipeline.

5. Unlock the power of variables

Mastering CI/CD variables allows for more flexible, secure, and efficient workflows in GitLab pipelines.